PARENTS and guardians across the country are entitled to certain payments to help them pay for childcare costs.
The support is called child benefit and is available to hundreds of thousands across Britain.
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Some families may be entitled to child tax credits as well.
But when do child benefit payments stop? Below, we reveal all.
What age does child benefit stop?
Child benefit payments stop on August 31, on or after your child’s 16th birthday, if they leave education or training.
If this is the case, your teen will get their own registered National Insurance Number.
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You are still entitled to cash after they turn 16 and choose to stay in “approved” education or training.
Once your child has reached their final year of secondary school, the Child Benefit Office will send you a letter.
Within it, they will ask you to confirm what their post-school plans are – you’ll need to let them know either way.
But to make the process quicker, you can get in touch with the Child Benefit Office and tell them about your youngster’s plans as soon as you become aware.
If they stay on in approved education or training between the ages of 16 and 19, payments will stop when they leave that, either at the end of February, May 31, August 31 or November 30, whichever comes first.
You may get an extension for 20 weeks if they are 16 or 17 and leave to go on to register with their local career service or join the armed forces.
They must not get certain benefits or work more than 24 hours a week to qualify for this extension.
You must also tell the Child Benefit Office if they take any breaks from education or training after 16.
What about child tax credits?
Child tax credits were for parents and guardians on a low income.
It’s been replaced by Universal Credit for new claimants but those already claiming the benefit can continue to do so.
The tax credit will not affect the child benefit you receive.
Child tax credit usually stops on August 31 after your child turns 16, unless they continue in approved education or training.
You may get an extension for 20 weeks if they are 16 or 17 and leave to go on to register with their local career service or join the armed forces.
They must not get certain benefits or work more than 24 hours a week to qualify for this extension.
You must also tell the Child Benefit Office if they take any breaks from education or training after 16.
What education or training qualifications are approved?
To keep receiving the weekly payments, your child must be in “full-time” post-education or training approved by the Child Benefit Office.
The qualifications are:
- A Levels or similar, for example Pre-U, International Baccalaureate
- T Levels
- Scottish Highers
- NVQs and other vocational qualifications up to level 3
- home education – if started before your child turned 16 or after 16 if they have special needs
- Traineeships in England
The courses must amount to more than an average of 12 hours a week of supervised study, or be a course-related work experience placement.
They must be accepted on the course before they turn 19.
But if they’re paid for by an employer, or considered to be “advanced” like university degrees or BTEC Higher National Certificates, they will not be approved.
Approved training can include:
- A foundation apprenticeship or traineeship in Wales
- Employability fund programmes in Scotland
- United Youth Pilot (if started before 1 June 2017, Peace IV children and young people 2.1, training for success in Northern Ireland
Courses that are part of a job contract do not count.
Can I claim for a third child?
Under special circumstances, you can get certain benefits to help with a third child.
For example, you can get child tax credit for your third child if they’re born as part of a multiple birth, like twins.
But the child has to be born on or after April 6, 2017, if the child or children:
- were born as part of a multiple birth
- were born as a result of a non-consensual conception (including rape) or conceived when you were in a controlling or coercive relationship
You may also get child tax credit if you’re responsible for a child or children (regardless of the order they joined the household) who:
- are adopted from local authority care (but not from abroad)
- are in your care, either formally or informally and it’s likely they would otherwise be looked after by a local authority
- are a child of your child
Any additional amount you receive for the third child won’t affect what you may get for any other children in your household.
For these exceptions you’ll need to provide supporting documents.
