- Child Benefit stops automatically on 31 August on or after your child's 16th birthday unless you tell HMRC they are staying in approved education or training.1
- It can carry on until your child turns 20 if they are in full-time non-advanced education or approved unpaid training, were accepted onto it before age 19, and don't get Universal Credit themselves.1
- Full time means more than an average of 12 hours a week of supervised study. A levels, T levels, Scottish Highers and most courses up to level 3 count; degrees, HNCs, HNDs and apprenticeships do not.1
- In 2026/27 Child Benefit is £27.05 a week for the eldest child and £17.90 for each other child.2
What counts as approved education?
The course must be full-time non-advanced education, at school, college or at home, with more than an average of 12 hours a week of supervised study or course-related work experience. Fewer hours may be accepted if your child has an illness or disability.1
| A levels or equivalent, T levels, GCSEs | Counts |
| Scottish Highers, NVQs and most vocational courses to level 3 | Counts |
| Home education; study programmes and pre-apprenticeships in England | Counts |
| University degrees, HNC/HND, CertHE | Does not count |
| Foundation diplomas and access courses | Does not count |
| Apprenticeships and training that is part of a job | Does not count |
Approved training must be unpaid. GOV.UK lists Traineeships and Jobs Growth Wales+ in Wales, No One Left Behind in Scotland, and Training for Success, Skills for Life and Work and the PEACEPLUS Youth Programme in Northern Ireland.1
How do I tell HMRC my child is staying on?
Only the person who claims Child Benefit can tell HMRC, using the online service on GOV.UK. HMRC may send you a letter in your child's last year at school asking about their plans.1
Do it before 31 August. If HMRC does not hear from you, payments stop on that date, and you would need to contact HMRC to get them restarted.
When does Child Benefit stop after a course ends?
If your child completes their course, payments stop at whichever of these dates comes first: the end of February, 31 May, 31 August or 30 November.1 It also stops when your child turns 20.
If your child leaves early, tell HMRC straight away. Otherwise you may be overpaid and have to pay it back.1 Temporary breaks, such as illness, can still be covered; contact HMRC about them.1
Can I get the 20-week extension?
Possibly, if your child leaves education or training and registers with a careers service (such as Connexions) or the Ministry of Defence. Your child must be 16 or 17, work less than 24 hours a week, and not get benefits such as Universal Credit. You must have been entitled to Child Benefit just before they left, and apply within 3 months of them leaving.1 If it applies, you get up to 20 more weeks of Child Benefit.
Worked example: when the eldest stops qualifying
A family gets Child Benefit for two children: Leah, 16, and Tom, 12. Leah leaves school in June and starts an apprenticeship in September, which does not count. Her Child Benefit stops on 31 August. The higher rate then moves to Tom, because it is paid for the eldest child who still qualifies.2
| Before 31 August: £27.05 (Leah) + £17.90 (Tom) | £44.95/wk |
| After 31 August: Tom on the eldest-child rate | £27.05/wk |
| Weekly drop (not £27.05, because Tom moves up) | £17.90 |
| A year (£17.90 x 52) | £930.80 |
Had Leah gone on to A levels instead, and the family told HMRC, they would have kept the full £44.95 a week until she finished.
What about Universal Credit and other benefits?
Universal Credit has its own rule for 'qualifying young persons': a young person in approved non-advanced education or training, started before they were 19, can stay on your claim until the 1 September after their 19th birthday.3 Tell DWP through your journal if they leave.
If your child gets Universal Credit in their own right, Child Benefit for them stops.1 If the household's higher earner has adjusted net income over £60,000, the High Income Child Benefit Charge carries on applying to Child Benefit paid for a 16 to 19 year old.4
A disabled child getting Disability Living Allowance will be invited to claim PIP around their 16th birthday; that is a separate claim.
- Payments stop on 31 August on or after the 16th birthday unless you tell HMRC your child is staying in approved education or training.1
- It can continue until 20 if the course was started before 19 and your child doesn't get Universal Credit.1
- Full time means more than an average of 12 hours a week of supervised study.1
- Degrees, HNCs and HNDs, and apprenticeships don't count.1
- The 20-week extension needs registration with a careers service and an application within 3 months.1