Story perspectives

HMRC Launches Service to Extend Child Benefit Until 2026

4/30/2026

Summary

Story summary

HMRC opened a Child Benefit extension service on 1 April, letting parents secure the £27.05 payment before reminder letters are mailed.
HMRC warned Child Benefit will stop on 31 August 2026 after a child turns 16 unless parents confirm education plans.
QR-coded reminder letters mailed from late April link to the service, define eligibility for education and trigger a High Income Child Benefit Charge for incomes £60,000-£80,000 via PAYE or Self Assessment.

History

Historical Context

The Family Allowances Act, passed on 15 June 1945 under Winston Churchill’s caretaker government and implemented on 6 August 1946 by Clement Attlee’s Labour ministry, introduced the first UK child benefit—five shillings per week for each child after the eldest. Administered through the National Insurance system, it covered about 2.5 million children, a model echoed today in HMRC’s child-benefit extension.

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Story summary

HMRC opened a Child Benefit extension service on 1 April, letting parents secure the £27.05 payment before reminder letters are mailed.
HMRC warned Child Benefit will stop on 31 August 2026 after a child turns 16 unless parents confirm education plans.
QR-coded reminder letters mailed from late April link to the service, define eligibility for education and trigger a High Income Child Benefit Charge for incomes £60,000-£80,000 via PAYE or Self Assessment.

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