Don’t miss out on Child Benefit for 16 to 19 year olds
Your Child Benefit will automatically stop on 31 August unless you take action.
Ensure Child Benefit continues beyond age 16
Child Benefit will automatically stop on the 31 August on or after your child’s 16th birthday if they leave education or training. However, if the child remains in approved, non-advanced education or training Child Benefit can continue until their 20th birthday.
Approved, non-advanced education and training can include A levels, NVQs up level 3 and Foundation Apprenticeships.
You will be sent a letter in your child’s last year of compulsory education asking you to confirm if they are staying in education or training, however you should not wait for this letter. It is your responsibility, as the claimant, to tell Child Benefit if your child is returning to education or training, failure to do so will result in your Child Benefit claim stopping and this also could also affect other related benefits such as Universal Credit. For full details on what is included as approved, non-advanced education and training, and how to inform the Child Benefit Office go to www.gov.uk/child-benefit-16-19.
What is Child Benefit?
Child Benefit is increasingly becoming an underclaimed benefit, especially with new parents or parents with two or more children, however it is an important source of financial support for families and there is no limit to how many children you can claim for.
For eligible households there are two Child Benefit rates, £26.05 per week for the eldest or only child and £17.25 per week for each of the other children in the household.
For more information on Child Benefit, download our factsheet here.
Apply for Child Benefit even if you are not entitled to payments
If one individual in the household earns over £60,000 per year the Child Benefit entitlement is reduced through the ‘High Income Child Benefit Tax Charge’. For every £1,000 earned above £60,000, the Child Benefit entitlement will reduce by 5% and where a single earner in the household earns £80,000 or more, entitlement to Child Benefit will cease. More information is available at www.gov.uk/child-benefit-tax-charge.
If your income is over the £60,000 threshold you can choose to either:
- get Child Benefit payments and pay any tax charge at the end of each tax year
- opt out of getting payments and not pay the tax charge
If you are affected by this Tax Charge and are choosing to opt out of getting Child Benefit payments you should still complete the Child Benefit form, because in doing so you will ensure you continue to get National Insurance credits towards your State Pension and your child will automatically be issued with their National Insurance number when they turn 16.
Contact an advisor for more information
For more information on Child Benefit including how to claim for older children, email the Family Benefits Advice Service on fbas@employersforchildcare.org.
