Child Benefit when your child turns 16
Your Child Benefit may have stopped on 31 August if its on or after your child’s 16th birthday. However it continues if they stay in approved education or training, but you must tell the Child Benefit Office.
You will have received a letter in your child’s last year at school asking you to confirm their plans but if you don’t let them know you will lose out!
Approved education
Education must be full-time (more than an average of 12 hours a week supervised study or course-related work experience) and can include:
- A levels or similar, for example Pre-U, International Baccalaureate
- T levels
- NVQs and other vocational qualifications up to level 3
- traineeships in England
Courses are not approved if paid for by an employer or “Ëœadvanced’, for example a university degree or BTEC Higher National Certificate.
Here are the links to tell the Child Benefit Office if your child is:
Your child must be accepted onto the course before they turn 19.
Approved training
Approved training should be unpaid and includes Foundation Apprenticeships, courses that are part of a job contract are not approved.
Tell the Child Benefit Office if your child is:
Your child must be accepted onto the training before they turn 19.
Temporary breaks
Tell the Child Benefit Office about breaks in your child’s education or training, for example if they change college. You might get Child Benefit during the break.
When approved education or training ends
When your child leaves approved education or training, payments will stop at the end of February, 31 May, 31 August or 30 November (whichever comes first).
