HMRC issues ‘act now’ warning – thousands eligible for £1,406 a year | Personal Finance | Finance
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) are urging parents to check if they are eligible for a vital benefit worth more than £1,400 this summer. Child Benefit is paid out by the Government until a child turns 16, but payments can continue beyond that age if the case matches two certain types of criteria which parents can check.
Revealing how some parents could still be eligible for support, the tax authority’s post continued: “If your child is over 16 and staying in education or approved training, your Child Benefit can continue – but you need to act.”
Child Benefit can be paid out until a child turns 20 if they’re in certain types of education or training and they are accepted onto the course before they turn 19 and do not get Universal Credit.
Families must tell HMRC about their education or training and only the person who is claiming Child Benefit can do this. Those wanting to claim can respond when they are sent a letter in their child’s last year at school, asking them to tell HMRC about their child’s plans.
What happens if you don’t claim?
Your Child Benefit automatically stops on August 31 on or after your child’s 16th birthday if they leave education or training, you do not tell HMRC that they’re staying in education or training or they’re staying in a type of education or training where you cannot get Child Benefit
Check if your child’s education qualifies
You can get Child Benefit if your child is in full-time non-advanced education. Full-time is more than an average of 12 hours a week of supervised study or course-related work experience. If your child has an illness or disability, they can do fewer hours if that’s appropriate for them.
Non-advanced education includes:
- A levels or similar, for example International Baccalaureate
- T levels
- GCSEs
- Scottish Highers
- NVQs and most vocational qualifications up to level 3
- home education
- study programmes in England
- a pre-apprenticeship
Education where you cannot get Child Benefit
You cannot get Child Benefit if your child is studying for a:
Approved training includes:
- in Wales: Foundation Apprenticeships, Traineeships or the Jobs Growth Wales+ scheme
- in Scotland: the No One Left Behind programme
- in Northern Ireland: PEACEPLUS Youth Programme 3.2, Training for Success or Skills for Life and Work
Training where you cannot get Child Benefit
- You cannot get Child Benefit if your child is:
- on an apprenticeship (unless it’s a Foundation Apprenticeship in Wales)
- doing a course with an employer’s agreement – for example in order to get a job with that employer, or to get skills for a job they’re already in
- doing a training course that is part of a job contract
Tell HMRC your child is staying in education or training
Use the online service to tell HMRC that your child is staying in education or training. Only the person who is claiming Child Benefit can do this. You’ll need to sign in to use this service. If you do not already have sign in details, you’ll be able to create them.
