HMRC letters have begun landing on doormats, containing a reminder about a potential £1,406 boost for parents. The Labour Party government's tax arm started sending Child Benefit reminder letters from May 8, Friday morning.
Parents urged to act to keep payments
Mums and dads are being urged to take action to retain their benefit payments. The letters are being sent to parents of 16- to 19-year-olds who risk losing their Child Benefit claims, which are worth at least £1,406.60 a year.
The payments will stop if families fail to confirm their teenager's education or training plans before August 31. This includes A-levels, T-levels, NVQs up to Level 3, and other full-time training. HMRC states that parents whose children are already enrolled on a course that HMRC has been notified about do not need to respond to the letter.
Child Benefit amounts
Child Benefit is worth £27.05 per week for the eldest or only child, and £17.90 per week for each additional child. It is paid every four weeks, amounting to £1,406.60 a year for one child and £2,337.40 for two children.
How to extend claims
HMRC's chief customer officer, Myrtle Lloyd, said parents with children who know they are staying in education or training do not need to wait for a letter. They can extend their claim immediately via the HMRC app or the GOV.UK website.
HMRC said: "Parents of teenagers starting qualifying further education or training courses must extend their Child Benefit claim by August 31."
"Parents of 16-19 year-olds are reminded to extend their Child Benefit claim if their teenager is staying in certain types of education or training after their GCSEs or National 5s."
Child Benefit will automatically stop on August 31 on or after a child’s 16th birthday unless parents confirm their teenager’s plans. Around 1.5 million reminder letters will be sent from late April, with most landing on doorsteps in early May.
Myrtle Lloyd added: "Child Benefit is a real financial boost for families, so if your teenager already knows they’re staying in education or training after their GCSEs or National 5s, you don’t need to wait for our letter. You can extend your Child Benefit claim today in minutes via the HMRC app or online at GOV.UK."
Last year, 874,000 parents extended their Child Benefit claims online or through the app, equating to over half of claimants across the UK.
