HMRC Child Benefit warning as people could see their payments stopped

More than a million child benefit claimants are being warned their payments could be stopped if they don’t act.

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is responsible for collecting tax as well as paying some benefits. Child Benefit is one of these and is paid to parents or guardians of children and, in some cases, young adults.

One parent per child can claim Child Benefit until the child turns 16 or until the child turns 20, provided that during this period they are in authorized education or training. The new Child Benefit rates came into effect earlier this year and a parent or carer can claim £25.60 for the eldest or only child and £16.95 for each additional child, per week.

READ MORE: DWP PIP warning as claimants told to ‘get in touch immediately’

READ MORE: Taylor Swift Liverpool fully plans for the city to become ‘Taylor Town’

HMRC said it is sending out more than 1.4 million Child Benefit reconfirmation letters to parents and carers who risk seeing their payments stopped if they do not confirm that their children, aged 16 to 19, have their continue education or training after GCSE. .

The letters, due to arrive between Friday 24 May and Wednesday 17 July, will each include a QR code which, when scanned, will take them straight to GOV.UK where people can update their claims quickly and easily online.

Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s Director General of Customer Services, said: “Child Benefit is an important financial support for many families, so make sure you don’t miss out on any payment if your teenager plans to go on to approved education or training.

“You can quickly and easily extend your claim online or through the HMRC app, just search for ‘Child Benefit when your child turns 16’ on GOV.UK.”

Receive newsletters with the latest news, sport and updates from the Liverpool ECHO by signing up here