Thousands of parents risk their Child Benefit payments being stopped unless they renew their claim by August 31.
Child Benefit is money paid to adults who are responsible for a young adult.
If you or your partner earn less than £50,000 per year, you can claim the full amount of child benefit.
You can claim £21.80 a week for your first child, then any other child you have qualifies for £14,45 a week each.
To claim Child Benefit, you need to live in the UK and be responsible for someone under the age of 16.
But you can also keep claiming Child Benefit until they are aged 20 - if they’re in approved education or training.
Have you had trouble claiming Child Benefit? Let us know: mirror.money.saving@mirror.co.uk
When your child turns 16, HMRC will send you a letter asking if they are still in full-time education.
You need to reply, or let HMRC know using your Gov.uk account, or risk your benefits being stopped.
You must let HMRC know before August 31 after your child's 16th birthday.
What counts as approved full-time education?
Your child must be in education for more than an average of 12 hours a week and this can include:
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A-Levels or similar, for example Pre-U, International Baccalaureate
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T-Levels
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Scottish Highers
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NVQs and other vocational qualifications up to Level 3
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Home education - if it started before your child turned 16 or after 16 if they have special needs
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Traineeships in England
Courses are not approved if paid for by an employer or “advanced” - for example a university degree or BTEC Higher National Certificate.
Who is eligible for Child Benefit?
You need to live in the UK and be responsible for someone under the age of 16, or under 20 if they’re in approved education or training, to claim Child Benefit.
Being responsible for a child usually means they live with you, or you pay at least the same amount as Child Benefit towards looking after them.
If two people look after a child, only one person can claim Child Benefit.
You can claim Child Benefit if you fostered a child, as long as the local council is not paying anything towards their accommodation or maintenance.
Child Benefit is also available if you adopted your child, as well as in certain circumstances where you're looking after a child for a friend or relative.
If you or your partner earn less than £50,000 per year, you can claim the full amount of Child Benefit - the rates we mentioned above.
But if one of you earns over £50,000, you may be liable for a tax charge, known as the "High Income Child Benefit Charge".
Earn over £60,000 and you'll need to pay back 100% of your Child Benefit - meaning you don't get anything.
