What is Child Benefit and who can claim?
Child Benefit is a tax-free payment made to anyone responsible for a child under 16 (or under 20 if they remain in approved education or training). It is not means-tested — anyone can claim regardless of income, savings, or employment status. The current rates are up to £26.05 per week for the eldest or only child and up to £17.25 per week for each additional child. Usually, only one person can receive Child Benefit for each child. In most families, this is one of the parents, but it can also be a grandparent, other relative, or anyone else who is responsible for the child. If two people both claim for the same child, HMRC will decide who receives it based on who the child normally lives with. Registering for Child Benefit is important beyond the payment itself. When you register, the child is automatically issued a National Insurance number before their 16th birthday. Additionally, claiming Child Benefit provides you with National Insurance credits if you are not working (or earning below the National Insurance threshold) while caring for a child under 12. These credits protect your State Pension entitlement.
How to claim
Claim Child Benefit by completing form CH2 — available to download from GOV.UK or by calling the Child Benefit helpline on 0300 200 3100 (Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm). You can also claim online through GOV.UK if you have a Government Gateway account. You will need your child's birth or adoption certificate (original, not a photocopy), your National Insurance number, and your bank account details. If the child was born in the UK, you may be able to claim without a birth certificate initially, but HMRC will usually ask for it later. Claim as soon as possible after your child is born — Child Benefit can only be backdated by up to 3 months. If you delay claiming, you could miss out on payments for the weeks between the birth and your claim date. For newborns, you can claim as soon as you have registered the birth. If you are adopting, you can claim from the date the child starts living with you.
The High Income Child Benefit Charge (HICBC)
If you or your partner earns more than £60,000 per year, you may be affected by the High Income Child Benefit Charge (HICBC). This is a tax charge that claws back some or all of the Child Benefit through self-assessment. The charge starts at 1% of the Child Benefit for every £200 of income above £60,000, reaching 100% at £80,000. You have two options if the HICBC applies to you. First, you can continue to receive Child Benefit and pay the tax charge through self-assessment. This means you effectively receive a reduced amount but still get some financial benefit if your income is between £60,000 and £80,000. Second, you can opt out of receiving Child Benefit payments — you still register for Child Benefit (to get the National Insurance credits and ensure your child gets a National Insurance number) but choose not to receive the payments. Even if the HICBC means you would receive no net financial benefit, it is strongly recommended to still register for Child Benefit and then opt out of payment. This ensures you receive National Insurance credits (protecting your State Pension) and that your child is registered for their National Insurance number. Opting out of payment means you do not need to complete a self-assessment tax return just for the HICBC.
Changes to report
You are expected to report certain changes to the Child Benefit office promptly. These include: a change of address (yours or your child's), if your child leaves approved education or training, if your child starts work for more than 24 hours per week, if you or your partner start earning over £60,000 per year, if your child goes to live with someone else, and if your family circumstances change (for example, you separate from your partner or start living with a new partner). If your child is approaching 16, they can continue to receive Child Benefit if they stay in approved education or training (such as A-levels, T-levels, NVQs, or other approved qualifications). You do not need to do anything if they continue in education at school — the school will confirm this to HMRC. If they start a college course, you may need to complete a form to confirm their education status. If you stop being eligible for Child Benefit — for example, because your child leaves education — payments will stop. You can always reclaim if circumstances change. If you are overpaid, HMRC will usually recover the overpayment from future Child Benefit payments or ask you to repay it directly.
Related Benefit Pages
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I still get Child Benefit if my child is 16 or over?
Is it worth registering even if I earn over £80,000?
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