What’s Child Benefits?
Before we get to know how much Child Benefits you can get, let’s find out what Child Benefits is first.
These benefits usually stop on 31 August after a child turns 16, but if your child is in full-time approved education or training, you can still claim for them until they are 19, or in some cases 20.
Applies to:
- England
- Wales
- Scotland
- Northern Ireland
This benefit is not taxable, but Child Benefits could make you liable for a tax charge if you or your partner earn over £50,000.
Here is a tool you can use to get an estimate of Child Benefit tax caculator from the UK government.
Who can get Child Benefit
You get Child Benefit if you’re responsible for bringing up a child who is:
- Under 16
- Under 20 if they stay in approved education or training
Child benefit can only be paid to the primary caregiver of the child. Where there are two children, parents can choose to each receive the benefit for one child each. Child benefit for one child cannot be split between the two parents.
It’s paid every 4 weeks and there’s no limit to how many children you can claim for.
How much Child Benefit will I get?
Once you confirm that you’re eligible to claim child benefits, we can start to calculate how much Child Benefit we can get.
Here are 2 here are 2 Child Benefit rates (as of August 2022):
- £21.80 a week for your eldest child
- £14.45 a week for each other child
You must contact the Child Benefit Office if you’re paid too much or too little.
*The benefit cap may affect the total amount of benefits you get, including Child Benefit.
And here’s some special situation where may change your Child Benefit:
Child Benefit and your State Pension
If your child is under 12 and you’re not working or do not earn enough to pay National Insurance contributions, Child Benefits can provide National Insurance credits.
These credits count towards your State Pension, so you do not have gaps in your National Insurance record.
If families split up
If a family splits up, you get £21.80 a week for the eldest child.
If you have 2 children and one stays with you and the other stays with your ex-partner, you’ll both get £21.80 a week for each child.
You cannot both claim for the same child, only one of you will get Child Benefit for them.
If you have other children who are entitled to Child Benefit, you’ll get £14.45 for each child.
If families join together
If 2 families join together, the eldest child in the new family qualifies for the £21.80 rate and any other children who are eligible will get the £14.45 rate.
If you or your partner earn over £50,000
You can get Child Benefit if your (or your partner’s) individual income is over £50,000, but you may be taxed on the benefit. This is known as the High Income Child Benefit Tax Charge.
If your partner’s income is also over £50,000 but yours is higher, you’re responsible for paying the tax charge. You need to fill in a Self Assessment tax return each tax year and pay what you owe.
Once you earn £60,000 you lose all of your benefit through tax. Child Benefit rates.
How and When Child Benefit is paid?
Child Benefit is usually paid every 4 weeks on a Monday or Tuesday.
You can have the money paid weekly if you’re a single parent or getting certain other benefits, such as Income Support.
You can get the money paid into any account, apart from a Nationwide cash builder account (sort code 070030) in someone else’s name.
You can only get the money paid into one account.
How do I claim Child Benefit?
Child Benefit can be claimed as soon as you’ve registered the birth of your child, or they come to live with you.
It can take up to 16 weeks to process a new Child Benefit claim (or longer if you’re new to the UK). Child Benefit can be backdated for up to 3 months.
Only one person can get Child Benefit for a child, so you need to decide whether it’s better for you or the other parent to claim. The person who claims will get National Insurance credits towards their state pension if they are not working or earn less than £190 per week.
Making a claim for the first time
Fill in Child Benefit claim form CH2 and send it to the Child Benefit Office. The address is on the form.
You can apply for Child Benefit before registering the birth, if you cannot get an appointment with a register office before your child is 3 months old.
If your child is adopted, send their original adoption certificate with the form. You can order a new adoption certificate if you’ve lost the original.
If you do not have the adoption certificate you need, send your claim form now and send the certificate once you’ve got it.
If your child’s birth was registered outside the UK
When you send your claim form, include your child’s:
- original birth certificate
- passport or travel document used to enter the UK
If you’ve lost the original you can order a new birth certificate.
Your child’s documents will usually be returned within 4 weeks.
Add a child to an existing claim
Call the Child Benefit helpline if all of the following apply:
- your child is under 6 months old and lives with you
- your child was born in the UK
- your child’s birth was registered in England, Scotland or Wales more than 24 hours ago
- you’re a UK or Irish national and you’ve lived in the UK since the start of your claim
When you call, you’ll need your:
- National Insurance number
- child’s birth certificate (if you’ve registered the birth)
Child Benefit Helpline
Telephone: 0300 200 3100
Welsh language: 0300 200 1900
Textphone: 0300 200 3103
Outside UK: +44 161 210 3086
*Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm
If you do not meet the criteria to add a child by phone
You’ll need to make a new claim by post. Fill in Child Benefit form CH2 and send it to the Child Benefit Office. The address is on the form.
If you’re claiming for more than 2 children, also include the ‘additional children’ form.
If you registered the birth in Northern Ireland.
You’ll need to send the birth certificate by post when you have it.
HM Revenue and Customs – Child Benefit Office
PO Box 1
Newcastle Upon Tyne
NE88 1AA
United Kingdom
Where can we get help with this claim?
Contact the Child Benefit Office if you have any questions.
You can challenge a decision about your claim. This is called asking for mandatory reconsideration.
You can complain to the Child Benefit Office if you’re unhappy with the way you’ve been treated.