Tag: teenagers

HMRC: Parents of teens reminded to extend Child Benefit claim online

Teenager turning 16?  Don’t miss out on Child Benefit

  • Parents of teenagers starting qualifying further education or training courses must extend their Child Benefit claim by 31 August
  • About 1.5 million parents of 16-19-year-olds are to receive reminder letters in coming weeks
  • The quickest and easiest way to extend is via the HMRC app or online at GOV.UK

Parents of 16-19-year-olds are reminded to extend their Child Benefit claim if their teenager is staying in certain types of education or training after their GCSEs or National 5s.

Child Benefit will automatically stop on 31 August on or after a child’s 16th birthday unless parents confirm their teenager’s plans. Around 1.5 million reminder letters will be sent from late April, with most landing on doorsteps in early May.

Parents don’t need to wait for their letter. HM Revenue and Customs’ (HMRC) digital service for extending claims opened on 1 April, so those who already know their teenager’s plans can act today.

Claim extensions can be made on the HMRC app or online at GOV.UK. The letters also include a QR code linking directly to the digital service.

Child Benefit is worth £27.05 a week – or £1,406.60 a year – for the eldest or only child and £17.90 a week for each additional child. Last year, 874,000 parents extended their claim, with more than half doing so online or through the HMRC app.

Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s Chief Customer Officer, said: “Child Benefit is a real financial boost for families, so if your teenager already knows they’re staying in education or training after their GCSEs or National 5s, you don’t need to wait for our letter.

“You can extend your Child Benefit claim today in minutes via the HMRC app or online at GOV.UK.”

Child Benefit can continue for teenagers studying full time in non-advanced education, or on unpaid approved training courses. Visit GOV.UK for the full list of eligible courses.

If a Child Benefit claimant or their partner has an individual income of between £60,000 and £80,000, the higher earner may be liable for the High Income Child Benefit Charge (HICBC). Use the Child Benefit tax calculator on GOV.UK for an estimate.

Parents can pay the charge through their PAYE tax code using the HICBC digital service, or through Self Assessment.

Submarine Studio: Graphic Art summer course

New Summer 6 week course

Graphic Art 13-17 yrs

Mondays 5pm-6.30pm

Starts Monday 7th July

Book 6 week course or individual classes.

Includes digital art, illustration, graphic design, street art, animation, printmaking + more.

iPads, equipment and materials provided.

With tutors Tom Ellis and Sorin Bath.

Full details on our website now.

Stencil artwork created by Charlie (14) at Submarine.

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Teen Issues: Loneliness

If you notice that your teen seems down or withdrawn it may be because they’re feeling lonely.

Even if they have lots of friends or if they’re surrounded by family, they can still feel lonely, misunderstood or like they don’t fit in. And teens often feel emotions like loneliness even more strongly than adults.

For tips on how to support your teen or young person if they are withdrawn or feeling isolated:

https://www.parentclub.scot/articles/teen-issues

Stand Up comedy workshop for teens at Drumbrae Library

WEDNESDAY 27th MARCH from 6 – 7.30pm

Get your tickets now for our FREE Standup Comedy Workshop for Teens with Jay Lafferty! Book through Eventbrite with the link below!

Please be aware that this event is for teens only, not adults!

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/…/stand-up-comedy-workshop…

HMRC: Claiming Child Benefit for teenagers studying or training after completing their Nationals

Parents have until 31 August to tell HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) that their 16-year-old is continuing their education or training, if they wish to continue receiving Child Benefit.

Many teenagers who recently received their Nationals exam results will be considering their future and whether to stay on in education. Child Benefit payments stop on 31 August after a child turns 16, but parents can extend their claim if their child is continuing in approved education or training.

It is easy for parents to update their Child Benefit record. They can use the online service on GOV.UK or the HMRC app to tell HMRC about their child’s plans.

HMRC recently wrote to parents about extending their Child Benefit claim. The letter included a QR code which, when scanned, directs them to GOV.UK to update their claim online. Any changes will be applied to their Child Benefit claim immediately.

Child Benefit will continue to be paid for children who are studying full time which can include:

  • Highers
  • International Baccalaureate
  • home education – if it started before their child turned 16 or after 16 if they have special needs

Child Benefit will also continue for children who are studying on an unpaid approved training course through the ‘No One Left Behind programme’.

Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s Director General for Customer Services, said: “Child Benefit can provide financial support to families, so make sure you don’t miss out if your teenager is still eligible.

“You can quickly and easily extend your claim online or via the HMRC app, just search ‘Child Benefit when your child turns 16’ on GOV.UK.”

Parents will need a Government Gateway user ID and password to use HMRC’s online services. They will need their National Insurance number or postcode and 2 forms of ID to register on GOV.UK.

The UK Government is offering help for households. Check GOV.UK to find out about cost of living support, including help with childcare costs. 

Teenagers could be missing out on a stash of cash

Tens of thousands of teenagers in the UK who have not yet claimed their matured Child Trust Funds savings could have thousands of pounds waiting for them, reminds HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).

Child Trust Funds are long-term savings accounts set up for every child born between 1 September 2002 and 2 January 2011. To encourage future saving and start the account, the government provided an initial deposit of at least £250.

The savings accounts mature when the child turns 18 years old. Eligible teenagers, who are aged 18 or over and have yet to access their Child Trust Fund account, could have savings waiting for them worth an average of £2,100.

If teenagers or their parents and guardians already know who their Child Trust Fund provider is, they can contact them directly. This might be a bank, building society or other savings provider.

Alternatively, they can visit GOV.UK and complete an online form to find out where their Child Trust Fund is held.

Many eligible teenagers who have yet to claim their savings might be starting university, apprenticeships or their first job. The lump-sum amount could offer a financial boost at a time when they need it most.

Angela MacDonald, HMRC’s Second Permanent Secretary and Deputy Chief Executive, said:“Teenagers could have a pot of money waiting for them worth thousands of pounds and not even realise it.

“We want to help you access your savings and the money you’re entitled to. To find out more search ‘Child Trust Fund’ on GOV.UK.”

An estimated 6.3 million Child Trust Fund accounts were set up throughout the duration of the scheme, containing about £9 billion. If a parent or guardian was not able to set up an account for their child, HMRC opened a savings account on the child’s behalf.

Teenagers aged 16 or over can take control of their own Child Trust Fund if they wish, although the funds can only be withdrawn once they turn 18 years old.

Where children have a Child Trust Fund, families can still pay in up to £9,000 a year tax-free. The account matures once the child turns 18 years old and no further money can be deposited. They can either withdraw the funds from the matured Child Trust Fund account or reinvest it into another savings account.

Until the child withdraws or transfers the money, it stays in an account that no-one else has access to.

The Child Trust Fund scheme closed in January 2011 and was replaced with Junior Individual Savings Accounts (ISA).

Calling teens with big dreams: the Bright Future Prize

The search is on for the next generation of inspiring community leaders as Ardonagh Community Trust launches its £40,000 Bright Future Prize 

Teens with big dreams have been asked to put forward their ideas for the Bright Future Prize to make a difference to the communities they care about.  

The prize, which is now in its second year, is hosted by Ardonagh Community Trust (ACT), the registered charity of one of the world’s leading insurance brokers, The Ardonagh Group. 

Winners of this year’s four prize categories will each receive a share of the £40,000 fund, alongside opportunities for mentoring, to help turn their dreams into reality.     

ACT Trustee and former British and Ireland Lions Captain Rory Best, described his delight at the prize’s launch and asked young people to step forward to help bring about the change they want to see in the world. He said: “I’m excited that applications for the Bright Future Prize 2022 are now officially open.  

“We want to hear from 13–19-year-olds about the incredible projects and causes they’re passionate about, so that we can help support their communities around the world.  

“I’m incredibly proud to be an ACT trustee and supporter of the Bright Future Prize and I can’t wait to read about young people’s big ideas to help shape a brighter future.” 

Last year, four talented individuals and groups were given the chance to drive positive change in their communities. Their projects ranged from promoting anti-bullying messages and supporting teenagers to pursue musical ambitions, to encouraging young people living in areas of deprivation to apply to top universities.   

The winners of the Bright Future Prize 2021, a team of three teenagers from Manchester, were awarded the prize for their innovative project, developed as part of a project with Manchester’s Contact Theatre, to help young people to protect their mental health.

Their proposed computer game – Dawn to the Light – aims to support young people to find positive ways to learn about mental health.   

The Dawn to the Light Team encouraged young people to enter this year’s prize saying that the experience had helped them to feel empowered to help others.  

The team said: “The prize fund allowed our idea to go from an idea on a page to a soon-to-come project that will be a fully-fledged videogame.  

“It allowed us to explore our own individuals’ talents and helped us showcase them in the work we put together.  

“To anyone applying to the fund, you should approach the application with the passion that you already possess for the project.  You should never think an idea isn’t good enough or important enough and keep your mind optimistic.” 

This year, there are four prize categories, which are each linked to a different way young people can help improve their community of choice.   

The prize categories are:   

  • Your community – Making a difference to the people around you   
  • Your planet – Protecting the environment and taking a stand against climate change   
  • Your vision – Driving positive change through entrepreneurship or innovation  
  • Your passion – Sharing your love for music, the arts or sport with more people    

The prize is open to young people aged 13-19, who live a region where Ardonagh has a presence, including in the UK, Ireland, Australia, the United States, or South Africa.

To apply, candidates – individually, or as a group – should propose a project or a cause close to their heart, and outline how they will use the funding to help make their community better, brighter, and stronger.

Applications are open between 14 March and Friday 29 April. 

To apply please visit: https://www.ardonaghtrust.org/bright-future-prize 

The Ardonagh Community Trust helps communities become better, brighter and stronger. Since the charity’s launch in 2017, it has raised more than £1.5 million for causes around the world.   

Teen vaccinations: Health Chiefs, it’s over to you …

JVCI advises politicians to seek further advice from CMOs

The four Chief Medical Officers will provide further advice on the COVID-19 vaccination of young people aged 12 to 15 with COVID-19 vaccines following the advice of the independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI).

The independent medicines regulator, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), has approved the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for people aged 12 and over after they met strict standards of safety and effectiveness.

The JCVI has advised that the health benefits from vaccination are marginally greater than the potential known harms. It has advised the government to seek further input from the Chief Medical Officers on the wider impacts.

This includes the impact on schools and young people’s education, which has been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.

UK health ministers from across the four nations have today written to the Chief Medical Officers to request they begin the process of assessing the broader impact of universal COVID-19 vaccination in this age group.

They will now convene experts and senior leaders in clinical and public health to consider the issue. They will then present their advice to ministers on whether a universal programme should be taken forward.

People aged 12 to 15 who are clinically vulnerable to COVID-19 or who live with adults who are at increased risk of serious illness from the virus are already eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine and are being contacted by the NHS, to be invited to come forward.

The JCVI has advised that this offer should be expanded to include more children aged 12 to 15, for example those with sickle cell disease or type 1 diabetes.

Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid said: “Our COVID-19 vaccines have brought a wide range of benefits to the country, from saving lives and preventing hospitalisations, to helping stop infections and allowing children to return to school.

“I am grateful for the expert advice that I have received from the independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation.

“People aged 12 to 15 who are clinically vulnerable to the virus have already been offered a COVID-19 vaccine, and today we’ll be expanding the offer to those with conditions such as sickle cell disease or type 1 diabetes to protect even more vulnerable children.

“Along with Health Ministers across the four nations, I have today written to the Chief Medical Officers to ask that they consider the vaccination of 12 to 15 year olds from a broader perspective, as suggested by the JCVI.

“We will then consider the advice from the Chief Medical Officers, building on the advice from the JCVI, before making a decision shortly.”

Scottish Health Minister Humza Yousaf said: “I want to thank the JCVI for today’s advice regarding vaccination for 12 -15 year olds.

“While the JCVI has agreed that the benefits marginally outweigh the risks they are not yet prepared to recommend universal vaccination of 12-15 year olds, however, they have suggested that Health Ministers may wish to ask their respective CMOs to explore the issue further, taking into consideration broader educational and societal impacts.

“Therefore, I have agreed with the other three UK Health Ministers to write a letter asking the four Chief Medical Officers to consider this latest guidance and explore whether there is additional evidence to suggest it would be beneficial to offer vaccination to all 12 – 15 year olds. We have asked for this further work to be conducted as soon as possible.

“A further update will be issued once these discussions have taken place. In the meantime, we will offer the vaccine to those children and young people currently recommended.

“The recent increase in cases of COVID-19 means it remains crucial that everyone who is offered a vaccination takes up the offer.”