How to Claim Child Benefit UK

Everything You Need to Know About Claiming Child Benefit

How Do I Claim Child Benefit?

Child Benefit or Children’s Allowance is a social security payment that is distributed to the parents or guardians of children, teenagers and in some cases, young adults. Claiming Child Benefit can provide a well-needed boost to your family budget.

If you’re entitled to claim Child Benefit, then it is important that you do so to ensure you have the support you need to bring up your children. But, if this is your first time claiming Child Benefit, you might be asking yourself, ‘how do I claim Child Benefit?’.

With that being said, in this guide, we’ll outline step-by-step how to claim Child Benefit, as well as answering all your other Child Benefit queries. So, let’s dive in!

Who Can Claim for Child Benefit?

You normally qualify for Child Benefit if you’re responsible for a child under 16 (or under 20 if they remain in approved education or training) and you live in the UK.

You are said to be responsible for a child if you live with them or are paying at least the same amount as Child Benefit towards looking after them, such as on food, clothes or pocket money.

You don’t have to be the child’s parent to claim, but you can claim Child Benefit for each child you’re responsible for, regardless of whether you’re working or have savings.

Your Child Benefit will stop if your child starts paid work for 24 hours or more a week, and is no longer in approved education or training. The same applies if your child starts an apprenticeship or starts receiving certain benefits in their own right.

How to Apply For Child Benefit?

To claim Child Benefit you’ll need to fill out a claim form (CH2) and send it to the Child Benefit Office, along with any other necessary documents.

If your child was born in Northern Ireland, or outside the UK, you’ll also need to send your child’s original birth certificate. If your child was born in England, Wales or Scotland, you won’t need to send in your child’s birth certificate, but ensuring you have it to hand when filling out the claim form will help.

When you send off your Child Benefit claim form, certificates or passport, you should ask the post office for proof of postage. This is because you might need to prove when you sent them.

You should send your claim form the Child Benefit address below:

HMRC – Child Benefit Office
Washington
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE88 1AA

HMRC might contact you if they require more information regarding your Child Benefit claim. For example, if you don’t live with the child, they might ask you for evidence that you pay to support them.

Why Should I Claim Child Benefit?

Claiming Child Benefit can be a huge help for families or single parents’ that are supporting children. Child Benefit can help cover the often substantial costs of having children.

The benefit is usually paid every 4 weeks and, if you’re eligible, you’ll receive £21.15 per week for your first child and £14.00 per week for any children thereafter.

If you are entitled to claim Child Benefit but don’t apply, you might also miss out on:

– Other benefits, such as Guardian’s Allowance (a benefit you can claim if you’re bringing up a child whose parents have died)
– Your child being automatically issued with a National Insurance number before their 16th birthday

Even if you don’t think you’ll be entitled to claim Child Benefit, because you or your partner earns over the £50,000 tax-free limit, it’s still worth claiming. This is so you don’t miss out on National Insurance credits.

When Should I Claim Child Benefit?

It’s worth claiming Child Benefit as soon as possible because your payments can only be backdated three months from the date your application was received.

You can claim Child Benefit at any time, but it’s best to do it as soon as your child is born or comes to live with you.

However, if you’ve just had a baby, you need to register the birth before you claim Child Benefit. Your Child Benefit will be backdated to when the child was born – up to a maximum of 3 months – so you won’t miss out on any payments.

What Proof Do You Need to Claim Child Benefit?

To apply for Child Benefit, you will require the following personal details and documents:

– Your and your partner’s National Insurance (NI) number
– Your average annual income before tax
– Your bank, building society or Post Office account details
– Your child’s birth certificate or adoption certificate
– Your other children’s Child Benefit numbers if you’re claiming for an additional child
– Your child’s passport (if your child was born outside the UK)

Do You Still Get Child Benefit if You Earn Over £50k?

If you or your partner earns over £50,000 per year, you can still claim Child Benefit.

However, you will start to pay some of it back in extra Income Tax.

You’ll need to pay back 1% of your family’s Child Benefit for every £100 of your income over £50,000. If either of you earns over £60,000 a year, you’ll have to repay all your Child Benefit in extra Income Tax.

It can be worth continuing to claim Child Benefit despite earning over £60k per year as this will ensure you get National Insurance credits which count towards your State Pension.

Does Child Benefit Get Backdated?

Yes, if you were eligible for Child Benefit before HMRC got your claim form, your claim will be automatically backdated, up to a maximum of 3 months. This means you’ll get an extra 1, 2 or 3 months of Child Benefit in your first payment.

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