Martin Lewis has urged parents with children born in 2008 or 2009 to ‘act now‘, or risk losing Child Benefit of up to £1,354.60 each year.
This Government allowance is available for anyone with responsibility for a child up to 20 years old, providing they’re in approved education or training.
However, many people don’t realise you have to reapply after your child’s 16th birthday — otherwise the payments are automatically stopped.
In the latest edition of his Money Saving Expert (MSE) newsletter, Martin warns that the deadline to do this is August 31 after they turn 16.
HMRC will send you a letter asking if they’re still in full-time education, and ‘you’ll need to reply, or let HMRC know online’ before this date to keep receiving Child Benefit.
Forms of ‘approved’ education include A-levels, International Baccalaureates, T levels, pre-apprenticeship courses, Scottish Highers, NVQs and home education, but not university degrees and BTEC Higher National Certificate qualifications.
In terms of training, this should be unpaid, with traineeships qualifying but not apprenticeships or any training that’s part of a job contract.
‘Once your child’s approved education or training comes to an end, benefit payments will come to an automatic stop, at the end of February, May, August or November (whichever is soonest),’ adds MSE.
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To avoid any nasty surprises, your best bet is to keep HMRC posted of when your child turns 16 and if anything changes after this (like they move college or take a break from training or education).
A few minutes of your time could be the difference between an extra £100 in your bank account every month — and given the cost of raising a teenager, that’s a helping hand you won’t want to miss out on.
How much is Child Benefit and who can claim?
There are two different rates of Child Benefit for the 2025/2026 financial year:
- £26.05 a week for a first-born or only child
- £17.25 a week for each additional child
Every parent or guardian is entitled to apply for this, as long as the child you’re claiming for lives with you, or you’re paying at least the same weekly amount as the benefit towards looking after them.
According to the MSE website, ‘if two people are responsible for the same child, only one will get the payment’. Parents who live together can either decide who receives it between themselves or let HMRC choose, while if the two parents live apart, it’ll go to whoever the child lives with most.
If you or your partner have an individual income over £60,000 a year, you can still claim the full Child Benefit, but may have to repay some of it at the end of each tax year due to what’s known as the ‘high income Child Benefit tax charge’.
As a general rule, you need to pay back 1% of the maximum you’re entitled to for every £200 you make above £60,000. For example, if you earn £70,000 a year, you’ll pay 50% back, which means you’d end up with around £600 around a year for one child.
‘Once you hit £80,000 a year, the charge you’ll pay back is 100% of your entitlement, meaning you won’t get any benefit,’ MSE adds.
If you’re not sure what that means for you, use the Government’s Child Benefit tax calculator for a more accurate estimate.
After you’ve checked whether you’re eligible, it’s easy to apply for Child Benefit through the Gov.uk website.
Bear in mind though, while you can claim at any time after you’ve registered the birth of your child, it can only be backdated by up to three months — so if you’ve held off for whatever reason, it’s better to get in there sooner rather than later to avoid losing out.
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