Weekly
Payment frequency
Paid every four weeks (or weekly for some single parents). Check GOV.UK for the current rate — it increases each April.
3 months
Maximum backdating
Child Benefit can only be backdated 3 months from the date you claim. Claim as soon as the child is born or comes into your care.
£60,000
High income charge threshold
If either partner earns above £60,000 (verify the current threshold at GOV.UK), a charge starts to claw back some of the Child Benefit received.
What Child Benefit is
Child Benefit is a regular payment from HMRC to the person responsible for a child. It is paid for each qualifying child in your household separately: there is a higher rate for the eldest or only child, and a lower rate for each additional child.
It is not means-tested. Your income, your partner's income, your savings, and your employment status do not determine whether you can claim — the only requirements are that you are responsible for a qualifying child and you live in the UK.
For current payment amounts, check GOV.UK. The rates are uprated each April and should not be relied on from any source that does not specify when the figure was accurate.
Who can claim
You can claim Child Benefit if you are responsible for a child under 16 — or under 20 if they are in approved education or training (such as A levels, NVQs, or a traineeship). "Responsible for" means the child lives with you, or you contribute at least the same as Child Benefit toward their upkeep.
Only one person can claim Child Benefit per child. If two people could both claim for the same child, you need to decide between you who claims. Couples who separate sometimes disagree about this: if you cannot agree, HMRC will decide.
You do not need to be the parent. Grandparents, aunts, uncles, guardians, or any adult who has taken responsibility for the child can claim.
UK residency is required. The specific eligibility rules around residency, right to reside, and habitual residence are detailed at GOV.UK — verify these if there is any uncertainty about your situation, particularly if you have recently moved to the UK.
Claim as early as possible — backdating is limited to 3 months
Child Benefit can only be backdated to 3 months before your claim date. If you delay claiming after your child is born or after taking responsibility for a child, you lose the payments from the earlier period. Claim as soon as you can. You do not need to wait for the birth certificate to be registered, though you will need it before the claim is processed.
How to claim
You claim Child Benefit online through GOV.UK. You will need your child's birth certificate or adoption certificate, your bank details, and your National Insurance number.
After you claim, HMRC usually takes around 3 weeks to process a new claim. Payments are made every 4 weeks directly to your bank account. Single parents can usually opt for weekly payments.
The High Income Child Benefit Charge
This is the part most people get wrong, and the consequences of getting it wrong can be expensive.
If either person in your household earns above a threshold (verify the current threshold at GOV.UK — it was increased from £50,000 to £60,000 in the April 2024 Budget), the higher earner must pay a tax charge that claws back some of the Child Benefit received. The charge is calculated against the higher earner's adjusted net income, not household income.
The charge is graduated:
- Below the lower threshold: no charge, you keep Child Benefit in full
- Between the lower and upper threshold (verify the upper threshold at GOV.UK — it was £80,000 post-Budget 2024): the charge claws back a proportion of Child Benefit received
- Above the upper threshold: the charge equals 100% of Child Benefit received, meaning you receive no net payment
The higher earner must register for self-assessment and pay the charge through their tax return. Many people do not realise this is required. HMRC does not automatically deduct it from your pay. If you do not register for self-assessment and pay the charge, HMRC will pursue the debt with interest and penalties.
If either of you earns above the threshold, you need to act
If either partner earns above the lower High Income Child Benefit Charge threshold (verify the current figure at GOV.UK), you have two options. You can either opt out of receiving Child Benefit payments while staying registered, or you can continue receiving payments and the higher earner registers for self-assessment to pay the charge through their tax return.
If you do neither and simply keep receiving payments without registering, HMRC will treat it as an underpayment of tax. They can go back years. The debt grows with interest and late filing penalties. The time to act is now, not when HMRC contacts you.
Opting out of payments
If the High Income Charge means you will receive no net benefit, you can opt out of receiving Child Benefit payments. This avoids the self-assessment requirement.
The critical point is that opting out of payments is not the same as cancelling your Child Benefit. You should stay registered. The reason is NI credits, explained below.
You can opt back in to receiving payments at any time if your income drops below the threshold.
NI credits — the hidden reason to stay registered
Child Benefit automatically provides Class 3 National Insurance credits to the person claiming it, as long as that person is not working or is earning below the NI threshold.
NI credits count toward your State Pension. Each full year of credits is a qualifying year. Missing credits now can reduce your State Pension later. The full new State Pension currently requires 35 qualifying years.
This matters most for parents who take time away from work to care for children. They may not be paying NI themselves, and without Child Benefit credits, those years become gaps in their NI record.
Register even if the charge means you will receive no money
If the High Income Charge means the charge equals your full payment, you still benefit from registering for Child Benefit and opting out of payments. Staying registered preserves the NI credits for the non-earning or lower-earning partner. These credits count toward the State Pension. Cancelling Child Benefit entirely throws them away. Register, opt out of payments, and the credits continue automatically.
We'll let you know when Child Benefit rates or the High Income Child Benefit Charge threshold change.
Common questions about Child Benefit
Can both parents claim Child Benefit?▾
No. Only one person can claim Child Benefit per child. If you are in a couple, decide between you who claims. The non-earning or lower-earning partner is usually the better choice if NI credits are important, since the credits go to the person claiming. If you later separate and there is a dispute, HMRC decides who receives the payment.
What happens when my child turns 16?▾
Child Benefit usually stops on 31 August after your child's 16th birthday. If your child continues in approved education or training — such as A levels, a BTEC, or an apprenticeship — you can extend the claim until they turn 20. You need to tell HMRC that they are continuing in education. If your child leaves education before 20, tell HMRC promptly or you may receive an overpayment you have to repay.
Can I claim Child Benefit if I'm self-employed?▾
Yes. Child Benefit is not linked to employment status. Whether you are employed, self-employed, or not working does not affect your eligibility. If you are self-employed and earn above the High Income Charge threshold, you will already be completing a self-assessment return, so paying the charge through it is straightforward.
What if I earn over the threshold?▾
If your adjusted net income is above the lower threshold, you can either opt out of receiving Child Benefit payments (while staying registered for NI credits) or continue receiving payments and pay the charge through self-assessment. If your income is above the upper threshold, the charge equals 100% of payments received, so staying registered and opting out of payments makes most sense unless you want to keep the paper trail simple. Verify the current thresholds at GOV.UK before deciding.
How long does it take to process a Child Benefit claim?▾
New claims usually take up to 3 weeks to process once HMRC has all the information they need, including the child's birth or adoption certificate. You will receive a letter confirming the award and when payments start. If 3 weeks pass without a response, contact HMRC directly.
Can Child Benefit be backdated?▾
Yes, but only by up to 3 months. If you claim today, the earliest your payments can go back to is 3 months ago. Delay claiming and you lose those earlier payments permanently. Claim as soon as the child is born or as soon as they come into your care.
Does Child Benefit affect other benefits?▾
Child Benefit itself is tax-free and does not count as income for Universal Credit purposes. It does not affect your UC entitlement. However, the High Income Child Benefit Charge is separate from UC and is paid through self-assessment, not deducted from your benefit.
What is the NI credit benefit of Child Benefit?▾
When you claim Child Benefit and are not working or earning below the NI threshold, you automatically receive Class 3 NI credits. These count as qualifying years toward your State Pension. For parents who take time out of employment to care for children, these credits prevent gaps in the NI record that would otherwise reduce the State Pension. This benefit continues even if you opt out of receiving Child Benefit payments — you must stay registered to keep receiving the credits.