HMRC 'last chance' to avoid £117.21 monthly payment being stopped

HMRC 'last chance' to avoid £117.21 monthly payment being stopped The deadline has now passed meaning people who have forgotten could lose £1,406.60 a year HMRC has issued an urgent ‘last chance’ appeal today (Thursday Sept 17) for people who face losing payments of £117.21 a month because they forgot to fill in a form. Officials have said that parents can still extend their Child Benefit for their 16 to 19-year-olds to do so now via the HMRC app or digital service - even though the deadline has now passed - but emphasised that this is the last opportunity. HMRC today said more than 550,000 parents of teens who are staying in education or approved training extended their Child Benefit claim before the August 31 deadline and will continue to receive their Child Benefit payments. Child Benefit is worth up to £1,406.60 a year for the eldest or only child, and up to £930.80 a year for each additional child. Officials said people can still download the HMRC app today for instant access to their Child Benefit account, where they can extend their claim, view upcoming and previous payments and Access Proof of Entitlement documents. Currently, those eligible will get £27.05 a week for their first child and £17.90 a week for any children after that. For the 2026/2027 tax year, parents will receive £1,406.60 a year for your eldest or only child, and £930.80 a year for each additional child. So if they have two children eligible, that’ll amount to £2,337.40. If one child is staying in education after getting their results and people fail to take action by the end of August they’ll be effectively losing £ 117.21 a month. People can claim child benefit if they’re ‘responsible for the child’, they are under 16 years old - or under 20 years old and still in full-time non-advanced education or training. About 1.5 million parents of 16-19 year-olds received reminder letters earlier this year. Parents of 16-19 year-olds were 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 31 August on or after a child’s 16th birthday unless parents confirm their teenager’s plans - but officials say people can currently add themselves and get it. Around 1.5 million reminder letters will be sent from late April, with most landing on doorsteps in early May. Last year, 874,000 parents extended their claim, with more than half doing so online or through the HMRC app. Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s Chief Customer Officer, said: “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.” Child Benefit can continue for teenagers studying full time in non-advanced education, or on unpaid approved training courses. Visit GOV.UK for the full list of eligible courses. If a Child Benefit claimant or their partner has an individual income of between £60,000 and £80,000, the higher earner may be liable for the High Income Child Benefit Charge (HICBC). Use the Child Benefit tax calculator on GOV.UK for an estimate. Parents can pay the charge through their PAYE tax code using the HICBC digital service, or through Self Assessment. HMRC added: “Parents only need to act if their teenager is starting a new course or qualifying training in September. Those already partway through a course previously notified to HMRC do not need to contact us. “Full-time education means more than an average of 12 hours a week of supervised study or course-related work experience. This includes home schooling. If a child has an illness or disability, they may be able to do fewer hours where this is appropriate for them.”