Child Benefit for secondary school students major help for families – Burke

Plans to extend child benefit for those up to the age of 19 in full time education is a welcome development, Minister Peter Burke has said.

“Following Budget 2024, one thing I was particularly keen to see is the extension of child benefit to all full-time students up to 19 years old. As parents know, child benefit stops once a child turns 18, but nowadays, many sixth-year students are 18 or even 19 when they’re sitting their Leaving Cert.

“They’re still in full-time education and at thAT stage in a young person’s life, parents are still the financial providers for all their needs, and it isn’t fair that child benefit stops at 18 when the majority of young people are still in secondary school.

"The expenses don’t just stop at 18, especially when your teenager is still in school and not working.

“This is something that I have raised with Minister Humphreys as we look at ways to assist people to manage the cost of living, government are now bringing forward this extension to child benefit,” added Minister Burke.

“For a lot of hard-working families, child benefit is the only social welfare payment that they receive and extending it up to the age of 19, providing the young person is still in full-time education, would no doubt be a help to parents and guardians.

“Any extension to a social welfare payment, obviously comes at a cost, but I believe that this is an investment that we should be in the position to make. This investment in our families and young people is not just a matter of financial support; it's a commitment to ensuring that students can complete their secondary education without financial strain.

"By extending child benefit, Fine Gael are acknowledging the importance of education and the role it plays in levelling the playing field for all our young people,” concluded Minister Peter Burke.

How do I access this benefit?

Child Benefit is currently paid to over 650,000 families in respect of over 1.2 million children with an estimated expenditure of more than €2.1 billion in 2024.

The payment is made on the first Tuesday each month at a rate of €140 per child.

In the case of a child who turned 18 after May 2023 and they are still in full-time education, they will be eligible again from May 2024 up to their 19th birthday.

The parent/guardian does not need to reapply if the child is in full-time education and the Department holds a current education certificate. The payment will be reactivated from May 2024 as long as the certificate is valid, and payment will continue for as long as a valid education certificate is in place or the child turns 19, whichever comes first.

If the child turns 18 after May 2024, Child Benefit will automatically be extended to either the 19th birthday or the expiry date of the current certificate.

In cases where the education certificate expires prior to the 19th birthday, a new education certificate will be issued to the parent/guardian before it expires. This must be completed and returned to allow payment of Child Benefit to resume.

The Department will contact a parent/guardian directly if they need to provide an updated education certificate.

For people who need to update their payment details, the quickest and easiest way to change payment details is online at MyWelfare.ie.

Changes to the age limit in 2024

From 1 May 2024, Child Benefit will be extended to children aged 18 who are in full-time education or who have a disability.

My child turns 18 before May 2024

If your child turns 18 before May 2024, they will get Child Benefit from 1 May 2024 until their 19th birthday if they:

· Are in full-time education, or

· Have a disability

You will not get Child Benefit for the months between their 18th birthday and 1 May 2024.

You don’t need to reapply for the payment if:

· Your child is still in full-time education, and

· The DSP still has their valid education certificate.

Your payment will start from May 2024 until your child’s 19th birthday, or their education certificate expires, whichever comes first.

My child turns 18 after May 2024

If your child turns 18 in May 2024 or anytime after that, you will automatically get Child Benefit until your child’s 19th birthday, or until your child’s education certificate expires (whichever happens first).

Education certificate expires before 19th birthday

If your child’s education certificate expires before their 19th birthday, the DSP will send you a new one. You must complete this certificate with a stamp from your child’s school or college, and return it to the DSP to continue getting Child Benefit.

Source: Citizens Information.