Help with the Cost of Living
Extend your Child Benefit claim for your teen
It’s time for parents across the UK to extend their Child Benefit claim if their 16-19-year-old is staying in full-time non-advanced education or approved training.
HMRC sent 1.4 million letters between 24 May and 17 July to parents, explaining how to extend their claim. If you haven’t received a letter yet, there’s no need to worry. You can still extend your Child Benefit via the HMRC app or online.
We know how important Child Benefit can be to families, so let HMRC know by 31 August if your teen intends to stay in approved education or training.
Extending your Child Benefit ensures you won't miss out on any payments from 31 August. However, if your child changes their mind about further education or training, you can simply let HMRC know online or in the app and we’ll update our records and adjust any payments as needed.
For parents who can’t extend their Child Benefit online, you can still do so by post or by phone.
If you require assistance, the Welfare Support Team provide free, impartial and confidential support to claim all benefits and entitlements. Contact us by emailing: welfare.support@highland.gov.ukor calling on 0800 090 1004
Helping your teens to claim their Child Trust Fund
If your child was born between 1 September 2002 and 2 January 2011, they may have a surprise windfall waiting for them!
Child Trust Funds (CTF) are long-term, tax-free saving accounts – worth an average of £2,000. If you didn’t open the account, HMRC may have opened one on behalf of your child.
If your teen is 16 or 17, they can take over responsibility for their CTF account. Once your child is 18, they can access and withdraw the money from their account.
If you don’t have details of their CTF account to share with them, they can ask HMRC who their CTF provider is by completing an online form. They’ll need your National Insurance number for this, which they can easily find in the HMRC app.