In this section:
- Child Benefit if your child is 16 or over
- Child Benefit if your child is in further education or training
- Child Benefit for under 18s who leave education or training
- Application form to extend Child Benefit
Child Benefit if your child is 16 or over
Child Benefit payments usually stop when your child reaches 16. But we can keep on paying them if your child is staying in relevant education or training. You may also be able to claim a Child Benefit extension if your child is under 18 and has registered for work, education or training.
Before your child turns 16
We'll get in touch between January and June in the school year your child turns 16. If you live in Scotland, we'll contact you in either mid-June or mid-November. We'll ask you if your child's planning to go on to relevant education or training and, if they are, what it is they're doing and when they'll leave.
You can tell us the information we need by either:
- calling the Child Benefit Office Helpline
- filling in the form we send you and returning it to us
Once you've given us these details, we'll tell you if you can still get Child Benefit. If you don't let us know, we'll stop your payments.
How long can we keep paying Child Benefit?
Once your child turns 16 we can carry on paying Child Benefit for them as long as they are classed as a 'qualifying young person'. This means that we can keep paying Child Benefit for them until 31 August after their 16th birthday, and after this date we can only keep on paying you if one of the following applies:
- they are under 20 and in relevant education or training
- they are 16 or 17 and are registered for work, education or training with an approved body
- they have left school, relevant education or training after 31 August following their 16th birthday
What happens to your payments after your child's 16th birthday?
When your child is 16 and leaves school, we will usually stop your
payments for them on the first Monday in September.
If your child leaves school or relevant education or training after
the 31 August following their 16th birthday, we set different dates
for stopping Child Benefit payments. We'll usually keep paying Child
Benefit from the date your child leaves relevant education or training
until the week that includes the earliest of these dates:
- the last day of February
- 31 May
- 31 August
- 30 November
Payments will usually stop on the following Monday.
Sometimes, we'll stop Child Benefit payments earlier, for example if your child is 16 or over and starts working for 24 hours or more a week or starts getting benefits. You can find more information about these situations below.
If your child goes into full time education or training
We can carry on paying Child Benefit up until the age of 20 if your child goes into relevant education or training. Your child would need to have either been accepted, enrolled or started on the course before the age of 19.
We cannot pay Child Benefit if your child is doing:
- any other type of education or training
- relevant education or training that is provided by an employer or as part of a job contract
Find out more about Child Benefit if your child is in further education or training
If your child no longer wants to do relevant education or training
Your child may have wanted to continue with their education or training but then changed their mind. For example their exam results may mean they can't do the course they wanted. You must tell us if your child has changed their mind.
We'll treat the date your child changed their mind as if it was the date they stopped education or training. We can then usually carry on paying Child Benefit up to the earliest of the dates shown above.
If your child is under 18, you may also be able to get your Child Benefit extended for up to 20 weeks.
Extending Child Benefit if your child leaves relevant education or training
You can sometimes get a Child Benefit extension of up to 20 weeks if your child:
- is under 18
- has left relevant education or training
There are other conditions that you have to meet to get the extension.
Find out about Child Benefit for under 18s who leave education or training
If your child starts work
If your child starts work after the age of 16, and is working 24 hours a week or more, we'll stop paying Child Benefit from the Monday after they start work. You must tell us if this happens. But your payments can continue if, as well as working, your child also stays in relevant education or training. They must however have applied for or started the course before the age of 19. If so we'll pay Child Benefit until they leave or turn 20, whichever comes first. It doesn't matter how many hours they work.
If your child starts relevant education provided through their work or relevant training through a job contract, then Child Benefit will stop.
If your child starts getting benefits in their own right
We can't pay Child Benefit if your child gets:
- Income Support
- income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
- Incapacity Benefit
- Employment and Support Allowance
- tax credits
You must tell us if your child gets any of these benefits. This is different to the benefits you get. Your Child Benefit will stop according to the day of the week your child started to get their benefits. For example, if your child's benefits started:
- on a Monday, your payments will stop from that same Monday
- on any other day of the week, your payments will stop on the following Monday
Benefits your child might be getting that won't affect your payments are:
- Carer's Allowance
- Disability Living Allowance
- Training or Educational Maintenance Allowance
If your child gets married or lives with a partner
You must tell us if your child gets married or lives with a partner. You can usually carry on getting Child Benefit for your child if either of the following applies:
- your child is not living with their partner
- your child is living with their partner and their partner is in relevant education or training
Find out more about Child Benefit and further education or training
If your child goes back to school or college to take exams
You can still get Child Benefit if your child leaves school or college but is entered for exams in the next term. Once they've finished their last exam, we'll keep paying Child Benefit from the date of the last exam until the week that includes the earliest of:
- last day of February
- 31 May
- 31 August
- 30 November
Re-sits of exams may not count.
Your Child Benefit will stop if any of the following apply between the time your child leaves school and takes their exams:
- your child gets benefits in their own right
- your child reaches the age of 20
- your child starts paid work
Contacting the Child Benefit Office
You can contact the Child Benefit Office in a number of ways. You can tell us about any changes or ask for advice by:
- Getting in touch with us online using the relevant links below.
- Calling the Child Benefit Office Helpline on Tel 0845 302 1444 or textphone Tel 0845 302 1474. The helpline is open between 8.00 am and 8.00 pm, seven days a week, except Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day. If your preferred language is Welsh you can call on Tel 0845 302 1489, and if you are telephoning from outside the UK you can call on Tel + 44 161 210 3086.
Writing to us at:
Child Benefit Office
PO Box 1
Newcastle-upon-Tyne
NE88 1AA.
Let us know about changes online that may affect your Child Benefit
Send us your Child Benefit query online
More useful links
Child Benefit - which changes you need to report
Your child reaches 16 - are you still entitled to tax credits?
