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GCSE results and Child Benefit: what parents need to do before 31 August

If your child is 16 and staying on in education or training, there’s a deadline that’s easy to miss. Here’s what to do, and by when.

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In short

If your child is turning 16 and continuing in approved education or training, you need to tell HMRC to keep your Child Benefit - or payments stop automatically after 31 August. The deadline is 31 August 2026. Approved study includes A-levels, T Levels and other full-time non-advanced courses, plus certain approved training. It does not include a university (advanced) course or a paid apprenticeship in England. A part-time job alongside approved study is fine - tell HMRC if your child starts a paid apprenticeship, works 24 or more hours a week and is no longer in approved study, or leaves education. You can extend the claim quickly via the HMRC app or GOV.UK.

How it works

  1. Check what your child is doing from September
    Child Benefit can continue if they stay in approved (full-time, non-advanced) education or training - for example A-levels, T Levels, other courses up to A-level/NVQ Level 3 standard, home education, or certain approved unpaid training. ‘Full-time’ means more than an average of 12 hours a week of supervised study or course-related work experience.
  2. Tell HMRC by 31 August
    HMRC writes to parents of 16-year-olds asking them to confirm their child’s plans. If you don’t respond, Child Benefit stops automatically. The deadline is 31 August 2026.
  3. Know what doesn’t count
    A university (advanced) course and a paid apprenticeship in England do not qualify. A job on its own is not approved education or training - but working does not automatically end Child Benefit if your child stays in qualifying education or training. It ends if they start paid work of 24 or more hours a week and are no longer in approved study. Tell HMRC if your child starts a paid apprenticeship, works 24+ hours a week, or leaves education.
  4. Extend the claim online
    The quickest way is the HMRC app or GOV.UK; you can also use the details on the HMRC letter. It takes a few minutes.

For reference, Child Benefit is worth up to around £1,400 a year for your eldest or only child and around £930 a year for each additional child - so it’s well worth the few minutes to extend.

Source: gov.uk: Child Benefit for 16 to 19 year olds · gov.uk: extend Child Benefit before 31 August.

Example

Your daughter gets her GCSE results and starts A-levels in September. You had an HMRC letter earlier in the summer; you open the HMRC app, confirm she’s continuing in full-time education, and your Child Benefit carries on. Your neighbour’s son starts a paid apprenticeship, so they tell HMRC - and their Child Benefit correctly stops.
Common misconception

Child Benefit doesn’t continue automatically once a child turns 16 - it’s the opposite: it stops unless you tell HMRC they’re staying in approved education or training. And a paid apprenticeship, though a great option, is one of the routes that doesn’t qualify.

Frequently asked questions

What’s the deadline to extend Child Benefit?

31 August 2026. If you don’t confirm your child is staying in approved education or training, payments stop automatically. Source: gov.uk ↗

Which courses count?

Approved full-time, non-advanced education - A-levels, T Levels, other courses up to A-level/NVQ Level 3 standard, home education, and certain approved training. Full-time means more than 12 hours a week of supervised study or course-related work experience. Source: gov.uk ↗

Does a paid apprenticeship or a job stop Child Benefit?

A paid apprenticeship in England and a university (advanced) course don’t qualify. A part-time job alongside approved study is fine - but Child Benefit ends if your child works 24 or more hours a week and is no longer in approved education or training. Source: gov.uk ↗

How do I extend the claim?

Use the HMRC app or GOV.UK, or the details on the HMRC letter you were sent. It only takes a few minutes. Source: gov.uk ↗

See it in the data

Once your child’s next step is settled, this is the admin not to forget.

What are my options after GCSEs? →Can I leave school at 16? →

Official sources

Official sources: gov.uk: Child Benefit for 16 to 19 year olds · gov.uk: extend Child Benefit before 31 August
About this guide. Produced independently by tutor2u using published HMRC and GOV.UK guidance, to explain the system clearly and put it in context. Reviewed by Jim Riley, tutor2u. How we check this guidance. Last reviewed 19 August 2026.
Where this applies: Child Benefit is a UK-wide benefit from HMRC, so the 31 August deadline applies across the UK. Exactly what counts as approved education or training can differ slightly between the UK nations.

Explore more

What are my options after GCSEs?Can I leave school at 16?GCSE results day 2026: what happensNo place for September?Exam Results Explorer (interactive)Grade boundary pages by subject

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Last checked August 2026. This is a plain-English summary of official guidance; always check the linked Ofqual, JCQ and exam-board pages for the definitive rules, which can change.

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