Update September 26th 2025 – on 1.9.25 the Child Benefit rules changed, removing the requirement for education otherwise than at school to have started pre-16 (hence also removing need for EHCP/IDP proof and LA approval) also adding new provision of limited hours as appropriate for illness or disability. Full details below.
NB Universal Credit DWP guidance no longer refers to pre-16 home education so this aligns with ONE of the two changes to Child Benefit rules, but UC guidance is silent on limited hours for illness or disability. My Universal Credit page is here https://edyourself.org/universal-credit/
Child Benefit payments stop on 31st August on or after your child’s 16th birthday, except for a “qualifying young person” in education or training that counts for Child Benefit.
The GOV.UK page on child benefit 16-19 is here https://www.gov.uk/child-benefit-16-19
The most comprehensive reference is HMRC’s Child Benefit Technical Manual. (See CBTM07030 for an explanation of 31st August)
At some point in the school year the child turns 16, parents may receive a letter asking whether the child will be continuing their full time education post-16. (This letter doesn’t always arrive; see below re online form)
Alternatively you can notify HMRC online about your child continuing in full-time education rather than by post. The online form should be sufficient and you might not need to fill out the follow-up form but it is best to be aware of the possibility of the follow up form.
The new shorter online form asks
What type of study will the young person be taking?
Will the young person be studying more than 12 hours per week?
In which country is the young person taking their course?
Will the young person be studying one of these courses?
What is the name of the non-advanced course?
Will the young person live with you while studying their course or on their approved training?
Start date
End date
The paper follow up form (NOT ALWAYS NEEDED) asks:
On what date did they last go to a school or college? DD MM YYYY
When did they first start to be educated somewhere other than at a school or college? DD MM YYYY
When do you expect their education somewhere other than at a school or college to end? DD MM YYYY
What subjects are they studying?
Are they studying for any qualifications?
If Yes, please tell us what they are
When will they take their final exam? DD MM YYYY
Do they get supervised study, tuition or instruction?
This can be provided by a teacher, a tutor or another person
If Yes, what subjects do they get supervised study, tuition or instruction for?
Where does the supervised study, tuition or instruction take place?
How many hours of supervised study, tuition or instruction do they get each week?
Tell us about any other study they do as part of their course each week
This can be work set by a tutor, coursework, exercises, practical work, projects or examinations.
How many hours of other study do they do each week?Do they have a plan or assessment made by a local authority, which identifies and assesses their special educational needs? For example, and educational health care plan. If Yes, send us a copy of it.
Has the local authority approved the education?) CHANGED 1.9.25
If Yes, send us a copy of the local authority approval.
Do they get Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, Employment and Support Allowance, Universal Credit or tax credits in their own right?
If Yes, which benefit do they get?
If Yes, which benefit do they get?
The SEN question is ONLY relevant if the home education has begun AFTER the age of 16 as otherwise you would meet the conditions of pre-16 home education. You only need to check this box if you intend to rely on the provisions of the EHCP for education otherwise than at school in your post-16 Child Benefit claim (eg because home education only started post-16) CHANGED 1.9.25
There is no new requirement for LA approval where the pre-16 home education condition has been met. “Local authority approval” ONLY arises in cases where home education has begun AFTER the age of 16 and where you are relying on LA-approved education otherwise than at school via eg an EHCP in your post-16 Child Benefit claim. ) CHANGED 1.9.25
It is not necessary for the young person to be studying for exams or to be on a course. HMRC has said “Working towards qualifications is the same as studying towards qualifications from a Child Benefit entitlement perspective. Studying in this instance means a child/young person in a learning environment other than at school/college where they are progressing in an educational sense even though that learning environment may be structured differently than at a school/college.”
Under certain conditions, 16+ Child Benefit can be paid while a young person is ill and unable to participate in education, this is called INTERRUPTION.
Child Benefit continues to be payable even if the young person works up to 23 hours a week as long as it is not more than 24 hours of paid work a week. (NB there may be other means tested benefits claimed at the same time that are affected by a LOWER weekly paid hours limit, ie it may not be 24 hours across the board)
Regulations
Regulation 1 of the Child Benefit Regulations 2006 is amended by The Child Benefit (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2025 which come into force on September 1st 2025.
“full-time education” [F21except in regulation 3(2)(ab)]—(a)
is education undertaken in pursuit of a course, where the average time spent during term time in receiving tuition, engaging in practical work, or supervised study, or taking examinations exceeds 12 hours per week; and
IS REPLACED BY
“(a)is education undertaken in pursuit of a course, where the time spent during term time in receiving tuition, engaging in practical work, or supervised study, or taking examinations—
(i)on average exceeds 12 hours per week, or
(ii)in the case of a person who suffers from an illness or physical or mental disability, is any amount of hours appropriate for that person’s individual circumstances, and”.
In other words (ii) about any amount of appropriate hours for illness, physical or mental disability is NEW but it will take some time for the GOV.UK latest version of the 2006 Regulations to be updated.
The other significant change is to Regulation 3 where reference to education provided elsewhere being “approved by the Commissioners” has been removed, as has reference to having received education otherwise than at school before the age of 16 UNLESS there is a statement of special educational needs (or equivalent Plan) and the LA has approved the education.
Regulation 3 would then read as follows:
Education and training condition
3.—(1) This regulation applies in the case of a person who has not attained the age of 20.
(2) The condition is that the person—
(a)is undertaking a course of full-time education, which is not advanced education and which is not provided by virtue of his employment or any office held by him—
(b)having undertaken such a course as is mentioned in [F3paragraph (a) [F4has been accepted or is enrolled to undertake a further such course;]
(c)is undertaking approved training that is not provided by means of a contract of employment[F5; or
(d)having undertaken a course mentioned in paragraph (a) or approved training mentioned in paragraph (c), has been accepted or is enrolled to undertake such approved training].
(4) A person who is aged 19 is only a qualifying young person by virtue of [F7paragraph (2)(a),or (2)(c) if he began the education or training (as the case may be) referred to in that sub-paragraph[F8, or was accepted or enrolled to undertake that education or training,] before attaining that age.
To check exactly how Regulation 3 is being amended click here https://edyourself.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Child-Benefit-–-Ed-Yourself.pdf
Explanation from HMRC 2025 Changes
HMRC has published an Explanatory Memorandum to accompany the 2025 Regulations which can be found here https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2025/818/pdfs/uksiem_20250818_en_001.pdf via this page https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2025/818/resources