Child Benefit and Child Tax Credit for 16-19 year olds

[Michael Browne]

Has your Child Benefit or Child Tax Credit stopped because you have a child who has turned 16?

 

These benefits usually stop on 31 August after a child turns 16, but if your child is in full-time approved education or training, you can still claim for them until they are 19, or in some cases 20.

 

Changes introduced this year mean that Child Tax Credit will also stop automatically when you child turns 18 or 19, unless you tell HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) that they are in approved education or training.

 

Approved education or training can include GCSEs, A/AS levels, Scottish Highers, national diplomas and NVQs up to level 3, as well as apprenticeships or traineeships. You can find information about what counts as approved education or training on the GOV.UK website at www.gov.uk. The education must be non-advanced, so studying for a degree at university doesn’t count. A young person must be accepted onto an approved course or training before their 19th birthday to be eligible.

 

You can tell HMRC if your child is eligible in the following ways:

 

• by phoning 0300 200 3100
  
• by post to Child Tax Credits, Tax Credits Office, Preston, PR1 4AT, and to Child Benefit Office, PO Box 1, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE88 1AA. You’ll need to write to each office separately if you’re claiming both
  
• online at https://online.hmrc.gov.uk for Child Benefit only.
  

It’s also important to let HMRC know if a young person leaves approved education or training, for instance to start work or because their course has ended. If you don’t report a change, you could build up an overpayment, which you will have to pay back. You could also be given a penalty for failing to report a change, or even prosecuted for benefit fraud if you are found to have deliberately claimed money you were not entitled to.

 

http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/england/news/whats_new_sept14_child_benefit_and_child_tax_credit_for_16-19_year_olds.htm

[bcham]

mine stopped ,nothing in bank on usual day .even though i sent a letter explaining my 16 year old son was attending college. phoned them up and explained again after waiting on hold for 30 mins. my credit on my mobile was down £8 after the call .then it was reinstated the week after ,but i received no back pay for the payment missed.

[blondebubbles]

mine stopped ,nothing in bank on usual day .even though i sent a letter explaining my 16 year old son was attending college. phoned them up and explained again after waiting on hold for 30 mins. my credit on my mobile was down £8 after the call .then it was reinstated the week after ,but i received no back pay for the payment missed.

 

The system doesn't update until 1st Sept.

 

This can cause a gap in payments. This is not an error, it's just the way their system works.

 

Tax credits is a yearly entitlement any money missed one week is spread through the rest of the payments for the year.