MORE than one million parents have been warned they not to miss out on valuable Child Benefit support from HMRC.

Parents are set to receive reminders this week telling them to extend Child Benefit for their teenagers if they are continuing in education or training after their GCSEs.

HMRC is sending more than 1.4 million Child Benefit letters to parents between May 24 and July 17.

The letters will include a QR code which can be scanned to take recipients directly to Gov.UK where they can update their claim online.

Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s Director General for Customer Services, said: “Child Benefit is an important financial support for many families, so make sure you don’t miss out on any payments if your teenager intends to continue approved education or training.

“You can quickly and easily extend your claim online or via the HMRC app, just search ‘Child Benefit when your child turns 16’ on GOV.UK.”

Child Benefit is worth up to £1,331 a year for the first or only child, and up to £881 a year for each additional child.

Payments will automatically stop on August 31 on or after the child has turned 16 unless parents renew their claim where their child is continuing in education.

Child Benefit can continue to be paid for children who are studying full time in approved non-advanced education, which includes:

  • A levels or Scottish Highers
  • International Baccalaureate
  • home education - if it started before their child turned 16, or after 16 if they have a statement of special educational needs and it was assessed by the local authority
  • T levels
  • NVQs, up to level 3.

Child Benefit will also continue for children studying on one of these unpaid approved training courses:

  • in Wales: Foundation Apprenticeships, Traineeships or the Jobs Growth Wales+ scheme
  • in Northern Ireland: PEACEPLUS Youth Programme 3.2, Training for Success or Skills for Life and Work
  • in Scotland: Employability Fund programme and No One Left Behind

If a child changes their mind about further education or training, parents can simply inform HMRC online or in the HMRC app and payments will be adjusted accordingly.