Just realised child benefit has stopped years ago! What can I do to get this paid back?

[METR0NOMY]

Two kids 19 and 16. We used to get child benefit but just realised it hasn’t been paid for ages. I know we don’t get it for the 19 year old but we should still get it for the 16 year old. I can’t even find the last time it was paid on my bank account, it could be years. Why would it have stopped?

They are supposed to be in some form of education or training, but the necessary legislation to enforce isn’t in place. It’s also not the parent’s responsibility post the school leaving age of 16, but the young person’s responsibility.

@TallulahBetty they can work a minimum of 20 a week while doing part-time education or training.
This means they can go and get a full time job which could include "training" as part of it (doesn't every job include training at first?). There's no obligation for it to be an official training scheme (ie an apprenticeship).
So they can literally go and get a job.

Obviously not that necessary if you didn’t even notice!

They can definitely go and get a job. My friends son started at college but didn’t like it. He went and got a job in Starbucks, full time. It was questioned by whoever questions this (!) but was told it was fine as there would be training involved.

Did you read the thread?

a) that only applies in England.
b) there are ways around it.

https://educationhub.blog.gov.uk/2024/01/school-leaving-age-can-you-leave-school-at-16-and-what-are-your-options/ says "You can go to work, undertake voluntary work, become an intern or even set up your own business when you leave school.
However, you’ll still need to be doing part-time training or study at the same time that leads to a regulated qualification, like a Vocational Technical Qualification (VTQ). This means that as well as gaining valuable experience, you’ll also gain a recognised accreditation that supports your future career.
Part-time education or training alongside full-time work must be of at least 280 guided learning hours (GLH) per year. This means the equivalent of about one day a week spent being taught by a lecturer, supervisor or tutor. These hours can be taken flexibly around working hours, as distance learning, or in blocks.

As long as the Starbucks training lead to a regulated qualification then yes it's fine. I wonder who the 'whoever questions this' person was.

I used to be involved in child employment/performance licences. The last Friday in June was a VERY important date!

OP didn't say it was necessary. She is still entitled to it. She was (and still is) going through a stressful period of her life and it got overlooked, as these things do.

And if they are in training eg an apprenticeship or a job with training their parents are not entitled to child benefit.

Not necessarily. Completely irrelevant.

If you'd been overpaid they would want it all back not just 3 months

Including apprenticeships which are paid, therefore creating overpayments as you aren’t entitled to claim for someone earning their own wage. Why would the government pay people on the off chance they’re entitled to it? If you want free money you need to fulfil the obligations and confirm at 16 that you still want to receive it.

Because it's £20 a week?

Needing the money isn't the point. It's a universal benefit and was originally set up so that mothers had some money of their own to spend on the children - some men being awkward about this!

Would you believe it?!!!!! I have just received this email!

Dear customer,

If you have employees with children, aged between 16 and 19 years old, there is important information they need to know so they don’t miss out on up to £1,354 a year in Child Benefit.

We’re writing to parents to let them know that they must confirm if their teens are staying in full time education, or training, before the deadline of 31 August 2025.
How to extend Child Benefit claims
You can help your employees to get the payments they’re entitled to by reminding them to extend their Child Benefit claim online or through the HMRC app.

The letter they will receive contains a handy QR code which takes them straight to the digital service on GOV.UK or they can search 'extend Child Benefit' and sign into their online account.

If parents do not tell us by 31 August 2025 that their child is staying in full time non-advanced education or approved training after age 16, their Child Benefit will stop. Parents can check eligibility on GOV.UK.
Child Benefit Charge for High Income parents
If your employees or their partners have opted out of getting Child Benefit payments because of their income, they still need to extend their claim. The amount parents can earn before they need to pay the High Income Child Benefit Charge has now increased to between £60,000 and £80,000.

Please encourage your employees to use the online Child Benefit tax calculator to get an estimate of how much benefit they will receive, and what the charge may be.

It may now be worthwhile for them to opt back into payments or make a claim if they haven’t done so before. It’s quick and easy to do in the HMRC app or online.

Yours faithfully
HM Revenue and Customs

I had a letter and had to return it, no qr code but was 10 years ago. I opted out because exh had a pay rise that year

I don't understand why you keep saying this. My job is to write about education policy and I am pretty sure that:
You have to be, as PP have said, by law, in education or training, in England, until the age of 18. This isn't just school, no - it can be apprenticeship.
Yes, this is hardly ever enforced, and if it is enforced there is no impact on teenager or parent, so it is a toothless law, but it is the law.
Please show me a link that says this is wrong as I would be keen to find out.

Edit: I am editing this to add yes, it can also be a job with training. That is training. I believe it has to include English and maths though.

It only has to include English and maths if the young person didn't get a Grade 4 at GCSE.

And the point that was being made was why opt in when school leaving age is now 18. Except it isn't 18. The requirement to be in education or training does not make the school leaving age 18.

From gov.uk

School leaving age
Your school leaving age depends on where you live.

England
You can leave school on the last Friday in June if you’ll be 16 by the end of the summer holidays.

You must then do one of the following until you’re 18:
stay in full-time education, for example at a college
start an apprenticeship
spend 20 hours or more a week working or volunteering, while in part-time education or training

This is a summary of the actual legislation which I won't link to but it is definately the last Friday in June.

they can leave and nothing happens except a phone call after a few months. It may be ‘law’ but it doesn’t get upheld

Do they send this to you? I’ve never had anything advising me of this. You’d think they would send out a letter or something?

Yes, they send you a letter. I lost our in a house move but luckily found it and was within the three months of being able to backdate the claim with ds.

Even if they did, the benefit doesn’t stop. You just have to do a tax self assessment and they adjust your tax for any amount you are no longer entitled to.

@Comefromaway "Would you believe it?!!!!! I have just received this email!"

They're 👀you.........

Exactly. I count down the days

It's really odd you difnt notice, no matter how stressed you were.