Overview
- Parents can renew in minutes via the HMRC app or on GOV.UK, with reminder letters including QR codes sent to guide users to the online service; only the existing claimant can update the record.
- More than 509,000 parents have already extended their claims, yet roughly 214,000 eligible families are still at risk of losing payments, with about 1.5 million households affected overall.
- Child Benefit is paid at £26.05 a week (£1,354.60 a year) for the eldest or only child and £17.25 a week (£897 a year) for each additional child.
- Claims can continue for teenagers in approved full‑time non‑advanced education or unpaid approved training, such as A‑levels, T‑levels, Scottish Highers, NVQs up to level 3 and specified national programmes, if the young person is accepted before turning 19.
- From 1 September, eligibility explicitly extends to home‑educated teenagers and to those unable to attend college for at least 12 hours due to illness or disability, with limited 20‑week extensions available in certain circumstances such as joining the armed forces.