Parents of teenagers finishing school this summer are being reminded to take action to avoid losing their Child Benefit payments.
HMRC is urging families with children aged 16 to 19 to extend their Child Benefit claim if their teenager plans to continue in approved education or training after completing their GCSEs or National 5s.
Without confirmation, payments will automatically stop on 31 August following a child’s 16th birthday—a deadline that catches some families out each year.
To help prevent this, HMRC is sending around 1.5 million reminder letters from late April, with most expected to arrive during May. However, parents do not need to wait for the letter if plans are already confirmed.
The online extension service opened on 1 April, allowing families to renew their claim immediately through the HMRC app or via GOV.UK. Reminder letters also include a QR code linking directly to the service.
For many households, the payments provide valuable ongoing support. Child Benefit is currently worth £27.05 a week—or £1,406.60 a year—for the eldest or only child, with an additional £17.90 per week for each further child.
Last year, around 874,000 parents successfully extended their claim, with more than half choosing to do so online or through the HMRC app, reflecting the growing shift towards digital services.
HMRC says the process is designed to be straightforward, but stresses that action is still required to keep payments in place.
Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s Chief Customer Officer, encouraged parents not to delay if their teenager already knows they will remain in education or training after the summer.
The reminder comes at a time when many families continue to feel pressure from rising household costs, making the continuation of Child Benefit an important source of financial support for parents with older teenagers still in education.
