Child turns 18

A dependent child must generally be under the age of 18 for a parent or caregiver to get Child Disability Allowance for them.

When a child turns 18, they are generally no longer considered a dependent child and Child Disability Allowance must stop from the start of the pay period following the child's 18th birthday.

However, if the 18-year-old child is continuing in education and is not financially independent, the child may continue to be considered a dependent child and to have Child Disability Allowance paid for them for a limited period.

In these situations, Child Disability Allowance must stop from the start of the pay period following:

• the date they no longer meet these criteria or
• 31 December of the year they turn 18

whichever is earlier.

Note if the parent or caregiver also gets Child Disability Allowance for other children, the payments for the other children will not be affected by another child turning 18.