What Happens to Benefits When My Child Turns 16?
Several benefits change when a child turns 16. Child Benefit can continue past 16 if your child stays in approved education or training and you tell HMRC; otherwise it stops on 31 August after their 16th birthday. The UC child element can run to the 1 September after their 19th birthday in approved education. And a child on DLA needs to transfer to PIP at 16.
Child Benefit: the 31 August rule
Child Benefit stops on 31 August on or after a child's 16th birthday unless you tell HMRC they are staying in approved education or training. If they stay in full-time non-advanced education (for example A levels, T levels or NVQs up to level 3, with more than 12 hours a week of supervised study) that they started before 19, Child Benefit can continue until they turn 20. Apprenticeships and university courses do not count. Tell HMRC if your child leaves early so payments stop correctly. The current rate is £27.05 a week for the eldest child and £17.90 for each other child.
UC child element: continues to age 20
The Universal Credit child element can continue for a young person in approved non-advanced education or training that they started before 19, up to the 1 September after their 19th birthday, as long as they are not claiming UC in their own right. The child element is £303.94 per child per month from April 2026, and the two-child limit was removed from 6 April 2026, so every child counts. Tell DWP through your journal if your child leaves education or training.
DLA to PIP: the transition at 16
Children receiving Disability Living Allowance (DLA) must transfer to PIP at age 16. DWP sends an invitation to claim PIP around the child's 16th birthday. You must respond within four weeks of receiving the invitation. DLA does not automatically convert to PIP. The child will need to complete a PIP2 form and may need a face-to-face or telephone assessment. DLA continues until a decision is made on the PIP claim.
Free school meals: the rules change
Free school meals at secondary school continue under the same income rules as primary. Once a child turns 16 and remains in sixth form or further education, the free meal entitlement depends on the provider. Further education colleges have their own bursary and meal support arrangements, which vary by institution. Check with the college directly about hardship and meal support funds available.
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Independent guide only. Written using published 2026/27 DWP and HMRC figures. This is not an official DWP or HMRC tool and does not constitute an entitlement decision. Figures shown are illustrative: actual awards depend on individual circumstances. For case-specific guidance, contact Citizens Advice or a welfare-rights adviser. Methodology · Editorial standards