Claiming Child Benefit
Who can claim, when to apply after a birth, why registering still pays when the tax charge applies, and which changes HMRC needs to hear about.
By the Ledger desk2 min read
Photo: Dan Papworth / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
You can claim Child Benefit online from 48 hours after registering a baby's birth, or as soon as a child comes to live with you, if you are responsible for bringing up a child under 16, or under 20 if they stay in approved education or training.
Only one person can get Child Benefit for each child, so parents who live together need to agree which of them makes the claim.
Making the claim
The quickest route is the online service on GOV.UK, which is also used to add another child to an existing claim. If you cannot claim online, HMRC also accepts claims by post. Before you start, have the child's birth or adoption certificate if you have it, your bank details, your National Insurance number and your partner's, if you have one.
If putting in the claim later, Child Benefit can be backdated for up to 3 months from the date you make the claim. Anything owed for earlier months is lost, so it pays to claim soon after the birth or after a child moves in.
The High Income Child Benefit Charge
Even if you or your partner has a high individual income, you can still claim Child Benefit. Anyone whose adjusted net income is above the threshold set by HMRC has to pay the High Income Child Benefit Charge, and where both partners are above it, whoever has the higher income pays. The threshold can change between tax years, so check the current figure and the Child Benefit tax calculator on GOV.UK.
Families caught by the charge can opt out of receiving the payments and still stay registered. That is far better than not claiming at all. Claimants get National Insurance credits automatically while the child is under 12, and these count towards the State Pension. Claiming also means the child gets a National Insurance number shortly before turning 16 without having to apply for one.
Changes you must report
Anyone getting Child Benefit must report any change of circumstances to the Child Benefit Office. GOV.UK lists changes such as:
- your child leaves, or stays on in, approved education or training after 16
- your child starts getting Universal Credit, Jobseeker's Allowance or Employment and Support Allowance
- your child marries, forms a civil partnership or moves in with a partner
- your child goes abroad for more than 12 weeks, or moves away from home for 8 weeks in a row or longer
Changes can be reported online through the Child Benefit pages on GOV.UK, or by calling or writing to HMRC. Reporting promptly avoids being overpaid and having to pay the money back later.
General information, checked against the sources below at the time of writing. Rules, rates and deadlines change, often each April; confirm with GOV.UK, the council or the organisation concerned before you rely on them. For advice on your own case, Citizens Advice is free.
