Your Child Benefit and Universal Credit child element usually continue if your child stays in full-time non-advanced education, such as A levels or a BTEC. Both can stop if your child starts an apprenticeship or goes to university, because neither counts as the kind of education these payments are for. That catches many families out.
Does your child staying in education keep your benefits?
Usually, yes. If your child stays in full-time, non-advanced education, both payments usually continue. That means courses like A levels, T levels, BTECs, or NVQs up to level 3, at a school or college.
For Universal Credit, GOV.UK says you get the child element until the 31 August after their 16th birthday, and up to their “19th birthday, if they’re in eligible education or training”. Citizens Advice puts the Child Benefit side simply: if your child stays in education or training after 16, “you can keep getting Child Benefit until they leave education, or until they reach 20 years old”.
What happens to your benefits if your child starts an apprenticeship?
This is the one that catches families out. An apprenticeship is a paid job, not approved education. It can stop both your Child Benefit and the child element of your Universal Credit.
GOV.UK is direct about Child Benefit: “You cannot get Child Benefit if your child is: on an apprenticeship (unless it’s a Foundation Apprenticeship in Wales).”
An apprenticeship is still a good route for your child, and they earn a wage on it. But the support you receive as a parent can drop at the same time, so it is worth knowing before it happens rather than after.
What if your child goes to university?
A university degree is advanced education, so Child Benefit stops. As GOV.UK puts it, you cannot get Child Benefit if your child is studying for a university degree. A young person at university is generally treated as an adult in their own right for benefits, rather than as your dependant.
Can your 16 to 19 year old claim Universal Credit themselves?
Usually not, especially while they are in full-time education. GOV.UK says you must “be aged 18 or over (there are some exceptions if you’re 16 to 17)”.
A 16 or 17 year old can claim only in specific situations, such as:
- they are responsible for a child
- they are pregnant, or have had a baby recently
- they have a health condition with medical evidence
- they do not have parental support
An 18 or 19 year old who has left education can usually claim like any other adult. If they are still a full-time student, the student rules apply, and they usually cannot claim unless they meet an exception.
What should you do?
- Report the change through your Universal Credit journal or to the Child Benefit office. Reporting late can cause an overpayment you have to pay back.
- If you are not sure whether a course counts, check before your child starts it. The examples above are the common cases, not the whole rule.
- If your income is about to change, it is a good time to check what else you might be entitled to.
Read the exact rules on GOV.UK, Universal Credit child element and GOV.UK, Child Benefit for 16 to 19 year olds.
Help your child weigh up their options
If your child is choosing between college, an apprenticeship or training, it helps to see what is available locally and where each route leads.