How it works
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
Only one person can get Child Benefit for a child.
It’s paid every 4 weeks and there’s no limit to how many children you can claim for.
By claiming Child Benefit:
- you can get National Insurance credits which count towards your State Pension
- your child will automatically get a National Insurance number when they’re 16 years old
If you choose not to get Child Benefit payments, you should still fill in and send off the claim form.
If you or your partner earn over £50,000
You may have to pay back some of your Child Benefit in tax if your (or your partner’s) individual income is over £50,000.
If your circumstances change
You must report any change of circumstances to the Child Benefit Office.
What you’ll get
There are 2 Child Benefit rates.
| Who the allowance is for | Rate (weekly) |
|---|---|
| Eldest or only child | £21.80 |
| Additional children | £14.45 per 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.
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 cashbuilder account (sort code 070030) in someone else’s name.
You can only get the money paid into one account.
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 Benefit can give you 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.
If you 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.
Use the Child Benefit tax calculator to estimate how much tax you may have to pay.
Once you earn £60,000 you lose all of your benefit through tax.
