Child Benefit claims automatically stop at 31 August following the child’s 16th birthday. However, eligibility can continue up to age 20 for children in full-time education or approved training, as long as HMRC is notified that the claim should continue.
Unless the claimant notified HMRC of continuing eligibility, Child Benefit claimed by people whose children turned 16 during the year to 31 August 2026 will now have ceased. However, there is still time to restart claims for parents and guardians with children who are still eligible.
Payments can be backdated by up to three months, so eligible claimants have until 30 November to notify HMRC that they want to extend their Child Benefit claim and receive payments backdated to 31 August.
A digital service to extend Child Benefit claims is available on GOV.UK, or via the HMRC App.
Remember the High-Income Child Benefit Charge
The High-Income Child Benefit Charge (HICBC) claws back Child Benefit from households with higher incomes.
Since 6 April 2024, the HICBC starts to apply where the higher earner in a household has adjusted net income of more than £60,000. The charge claws back 1% of the Child Benefit received for every £200 of adjusted net income above that threshold. This means that Child Benefit is completely withdrawn if a taxpayer in the household has adjusted net income above £80,000. Our short video on HICBC helps to explain the rules.
Households where the higher earner has adjusted net income of between £60,000 and £80,000 will have to repay a proportion of the Child Benefit they receive. Where the higher earner has adjusted net income above £80,000, all the Child Benefit received by the household will have to be repaid.
There are different methods of paying the HICBC, as covered in our previous ‘back to basics’ article explaining how HICBC works, including the option for some to have the charge collected via PAYE.
Should you still claim, even where the HICBC applies?
Even for households affected by the HICBC, it may be better to claim Child Benefit but opt out of receiving payments, rather than not claiming at all.
If the Child Benefit is claimed by a parent or guardian who has little or no income of their own, making the claim can provide National Insurance credits that help build entitlement to the State Pension. Someone who does not claim Child Benefit at all may miss out on these credits.
This article reflects the position at the date of publication. If you are reading this at a later date you are advised to check that that position has not changed in the time since.
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