HMRC warning as parents have weeks to avoid losing £1,407 in Child Benefit
Parents have just weeks to tell HMRC their teenager is staying in education or training, or they risk losing more than £1,400 a year in Child Benefit.
The warning applies to parents of 16 to 19-year-olds whose child is continuing in approved education or training after the summer.
Child Benefit normally stops automatically on August 31 on or after a child turns 16 unless the parent confirms their plans to HMRC.
For the 2026 to 2027 tax year, Child Benefit is £27.05 a week for the eldest or only child. That adds up to £1,406.60 over a full year.
Families can also receive £17.90 a week for each additional child, worth £930.80 over a full year.
Parents can extend the claim through GOV.UK or the HMRC app if their child is staying in approved education or training.
They do not have to wait for a letter if they know they are eligible.
Approved education can include A levels, the International Baccalaureate, T levels and NVQs up to level 3. Some home education can also count where it meets the rules.
Approved training must usually be unpaid. Examples include Foundation Apprenticeships, Traineeships or Jobs Growth Wales+ in Wales, Training for Success or Skills for Life and Work in Northern Ireland, and the Employability Fund programme.
The deadline matters because a missed update can create a sudden gap in household income just as families face new term costs for travel, clothes, equipment and food.
A benefits specialist at Vettory.org said: "This is the kind of deadline that can be missed because nothing has changed day to day. Your child may be going back into education, but HMRC still needs that confirmation or the payment can stop.
"Parents should check any HMRC letters, use the official online service or app, and keep a note of the course or training details they have relied on. If there is any uncertainty, act before August 31 rather than waiting until payments have already stopped."
Parents should also tell HMRC if their child leaves education or training earlier than expected, starts paid work of 24 hours or more a week, or begins claiming certain benefits in their own right.
If the August 31 deadline is missed, claims can usually only be backdated by up to three months. That means families who leave it too long may not recover every missed payment.