Child Benefit when your child turns 16

    Child Benefit stops 31 August on or after your child’s 16th birthday if they leave education or training. It continues if they stay in approved education or training, but you must tell the Child Benefit Office.

    Report education or training plans

    You can report plans or changes online or by phone or post.

    You’ll also be sent a letter in your child’s last year at school asking you to confirm their plans.

    Child Benefit stop date

    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).

    Approved education

    Education must be full-time (at least an average of 12 hours a week supervised study and or course-related work experience) and can include:

    • A levels or similar – eg Pre-U, International Baccalaureate
    • Scottish Highers
    • NVQ up to level 3
    • home education – if started before your child turned 16

    Courses are not approved if paid for by an employer or ‘advanced’, eg a university degree, BTEC Higher National Certificate.

    Your child must be accepted onto the course before they turn 19.

    Approved training

    Approved training should be unpaid and can include:

    • some apprenticeships and traineeships
    • Get Ready for work – if started before 1 April 2013
    • Skillbuild+, Skillbuild – if started before 1 August 2011
    • Training for Success
    • Pathways to Success
    • Employability Fund programmes – Scotland only
    • Collaboration and Innovation Programme – Northern Ireland only

    Courses that are part of a job contract are not approved.

    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 – eg if they change college. You might get Child Benefit during the break.

    When approved education or training ends

    You could get Child Benefit for 20 weeks (called an ‘extension’) if your child leaves approved education or training and either:

    • registers with their local careers service, Connexions (or a similar organisation in Northern Ireland, the EU, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein)
    • signed up to join the armed forces

    Apply for an extension

    Apply for the extension online, by phone or post.

    To qualify your child must:

    • be 16 or 17
    • work less than 24 hours a week
    • not get certain benefits (eg Income Support)

    You must have been entitled to Child Benefit immediately before they left the approved education or training and apply for it within 20 weeks of them leaving.