Child Benefit after 16 – tell HMRC your child is staying in education

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. Tell HMRC before 31 August to keep the payments.

Deadline

Every year by 31 August

Last checked

Checked against the official source: 20 October 2026

What if you miss the deadline? If you do not tell HMRC, Child Benefit stops on 31 August. Contact HMRC as soon as you can if your child is still in approved education or training.

Child Benefit can continue until your child turns 20 if they stay in approved education or training. You must tell HMRC, or the payments stop on 31 August on or after their 16th birthday. You may get a letter about this in your child's last school year.

How to do it

1. Find out what your child plans to do after school, for example A levels or another approved course.
2. Use HMRC's online service to tell HMRC that your child is staying in education or training. Only the person who claims Child Benefit can do this.
3. Do it before 31 August so the payments do not stop.
4. Tell HMRC straight away if your child leaves the course early, so you are not overpaid.

Common questions

When does Child Benefit stop at 16?

It stops automatically on 31 August on or after your child's 16th birthday if they leave education or training, or if you do not tell HMRC they are staying on.

Can I get Child Benefit until my child is 20?

Yes, if they are in certain approved education or training, were accepted onto the course before 19, and do not get Universal Credit themselves.

What if my child leaves college early?

You must tell HMRC that your child is leaving education or training. If you get payments you should not have, you might need to pay them back.

Official source: gov.uk (opens in a new tab)

This information is not legal or tax advice.