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Child Tax Credit after Turning 16

Child Tax Credit for children over the age of sixteen (16) can continue in some cases. But they would need to be in approved education or certain approved training schemes.

CHILD TAX CREDIT AT 16: In most cases, Child Tax Credit stops once your child reaches 16 years old. Exceptions exist for some teenagers until they reach 20 years old.


At What Age Does Child Tax Credit Stop?

Is your sixteen year old studying in approved education, embarking on further training, or registering with a careers service?

If not, the benefit you receive for Child Tax Credit ends on the 31st of August after your child reaches 16.

After your child turns 16, to make sure you get paid the right amount, you must inform the Tax Credit Office with relevant details if they:

  • Turn 16 years old and remain in approved education or training.
  • Start or leave approved education or training.
  • Join or leave a careers service.
  • Start receiving welfare themselves (e.g. Universal Credit benefit).
  • Get married, form a civil partnership, or start to live with a partner.
  • Leave approved education or training and start working in a job which pays them for 24 or more hours per week.
  • Turn 18 or 19 and stay in approved education or training.


Child Tax Credit Approved Education

For the purpose of keeping your Child Tax Credit the approved education has to be full-time. This means studying for more than an average of 12 hours a week in supervised study or a course-related work experience which can include:

  • A levels or similar (e.g. Pre-University or International Baccalaureate).
  • Scottish Highers or traineeships in England.
  • Home education (providing it started before the child became a 16 year old).
  • NVQs and other vocational qualifications up to level 3.

Note: Your child must be accepted onto the course before they turn 19. These approved education courses are not considered to be approved if they are paid for by an employer or ‘advanced’ (e.g. a university degree or BTEC Higher National Certificate).


Child Tax Credit Approved Training Course

Providing the approved training is unpaid, it can include:

  • Foundation Apprenticeships or Traineeships in Wales.
  • Employability Fund programmes or Get Ready for Work (if started before 1st of April 2013) in Scotland.
  • United Youth Pilot, Training for Success, Pathways to Success or Collaboration and Innovation Programme in Northern Ireland.

Note: To qualify your child must be accepted for the training before they turn 19 years old. Courses which are part of a job contract do not meet the approved training course requirements.


Child Tax Credits Careers Services

Up to twenty (20) weeks of tax credit is also available if your child leaves education or training before they turn eighteen years old and either:

  • Joins the Armed Forces.
  • Registers with their local careers service, Connexions, or local authority support service (or the Education and Library Board in Northern Ireland or similar careers organisation in the European Economic Area, Norway, Switzerland, Iceland or Liechtenstein).

Note: To qualify for Child Tax Credits career benefit your child must be sixteen or seventeen years old, working less than 24 hours a week, and not receiving certain benefits which affect this claim, such as Income Support.


Child Tax Credit after 16 in the United Kingdom