Child benefit payment advice

Hopeful0324

Good afternoon,
My son turns 20 on 26th Jan. I also have a younger daughter who we still get child benefit payment for. Is child benefit paid in advance or arrears? My next payment is due on 28th Jan so not sure how much to expect as my son's entitlement will end on 25th Jan. Any advice gratefully received

Dazed_and_C0nfused

Hopeful0324 said:

Good afternoon,
My son turns 20 on 26th Jan. I also have a younger daughter who we still get child benefit payment for. Is child benefit paid in advance or arrears? My next payment is due on 28th Jan so not sure how much to expect as my son's entitlement will end on 25th Jan. Any advice gratefully received

Don't know the specific answer but I think you might be able to view details of Child Benefit payments on your Personal Tax Account or the HMRC App.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/download-the-hmrc-app

Northern_Wanderer

Child benefit is paid four weeks in arrears. As your son's 20th birthday is on a Sunday, entitlement will stop on that day. I'm not sure but imagine you will get one or two more payments? Assume you get it paid every four weeks currently?

Hopeful0324

Thank you both - so the payment I am due on 28th Jan should be for both my son and daughter as normal apart from 3 days lost from when my son turns 20?

I assume that my daughter then becomes the 'oldest child' for the remainder of her entitlement?

Northern_Wanderer

Child benefit is a weekly benefit and cannot be paid for periods of less than a week. Child benefit is normally paid once every four weeks on a Monday (unless the decision maker has arranged for payments to be made on a Tuesday), and covers four weeks in arrears. Therefore, you will not lose three days as entitlement ends on the Sunday

Reaching 20: If the young person is still in full-time non-advanced education or approved training when they reach the age of 20, child benefit will stop from the first Sunday after their 20th birthday. However, if the birthday is a Sunday, child benefit will stop on that day, and if it is a Monday, child benefit will stop the day before.

If the oldest child or young person of a claimant ceases to qualify for child benefit, for example, because they leave full-time education, the claimant receives the first or only child rate for the next oldest child or young person. So you are correct.

As it is paid in arrears then I "think" this coming payment will be the last one for your son. I assume the ending of this award will be automatic, I'm surprised they have not written to you. Obviously if they do not stop the payment automatically you should let them know.

Hopeful0324

@Northern_Wanderer - thank you so much for your advice and information - I really do appreciate it  

Northern_Wanderer

Hopeful0324 said:

@Northern_Wanderer - thank you so much for your advice and information - I really do appreciate it  

You are so welcome.