Extend Child Benefit for teenagers by the end of August

21 Aug 2025

Parents have less than two weeks to tell HMRC their 16-19-year-old is continuing education or training, or their Child Benefit payments will stop.

Hundreds of thousands of teenagers will decide on their future after they receive their GCSE results on 21 August 2025.

For parents of 16-19-year-olds who haven't yet extended their claim, Child Benefit payments will stop after 31 August. If their child is going to continue in approved education or training, parents can continue receiving Child Benefit and HMRC is urging them to extend their claim now.

Parents can quickly and easily extend their Child Benefit claim online on or via the HMRC app.

According to HMRC, more than 509,000 parents have extended their claim digitally so far, with the changes applied to their record without the need to wait on the phone.

Parents should keep their claim details up to date, even if they've opted not to receive Child Benefit payments due to the High Income Child Benefit Charge, adds the tax authority.

Child Benefit is worth up to £1,354.60 a year for the first or only child and up to £897 a year for every additional child.

Myrtle Lloyd, Chief Customer Officer at HMRC, said: 'Teenagers can be expensive and Child Benefit is an important source of income for your household. As soon as you know what your teen is doing in September, don't miss out. You can extend your claim in minutes through the HMRC app or online to ensure your payments continue.'