It’s important to know whether you still get family allowance when doing an apprenticeship and what you are entitled to from the government.
If your kid exits education or training after 16, their Child Benefit will expire on August 31st. It may proceed regardless of whether they
continue to enter approved school or training, but you must contact the Child Benefit Office.
You will get a letter in your child’s final school year asking you to confirm their plans.
Approved Education
Full-time schooling is needed (more than 12 hours a week of supervised study or course-related work experience) and can include:
- A level or similar, such as Pre-U, IB
- T levels
- Scottish Highers
- NVQs and other vocational qualifications up to level 3 homeschooling – whether it started before or after your child turned 16 and whether they have special needs
- Traineeships in England
Courses paid for or deemed “advanced,” such as a graduate degree or a BTEC Higher National Certificate, are not approved.
Your kid must be accepted into the curriculum by the age of 19.
Training that has been approved
Approved training must be done for free and should include the following:
- Initiatives funded by the Employability Fund in Scotland
- United Youth Pilot, PEACE IV Children and Young People 2.1, or Northern Ireland Foundation Apprenticeships or Traineeships Foundation Apprenticeships or Traineeships in Wales
Courses needed as part of a job contract are not allowed.
By 19, the child must be accepted into the training programme.
Taking a break
Notify the Child Benefit Office of gaps in your child’s education, such as college change. Then, you could be qualified for Child Benefit after the break.
Request an extension
You could be liable for an extra 20 weeks of Child Benefit if your child exits approved education or training and either:
Connexions (or a similar organisation in Northern Ireland, the EU, Norway, Iceland, or Liechtenstein) register to enter the armed forces.
Apply for an extension online, over the phone, or via letter.
To be qualified, your child must:
- 16 or 17 years of age
- You will not be considered for such incentives if they work more than 24 hours a week
You may have been entitled to Child Benefit as they left the approved school or training and applied for benefits within three months of going.
So to sum it up, you don’t still get family allowance when doing an apprenticeship unless it is unpaid.