Child Benefit: rates, eligibility, and how to claim in 2026/27

Child Benefit pays £27.05 a week for your eldest or only child and £17.90 a week for each additional child from 6 April 2026. Most parents, grandparents, and main carers qualify. You do not have to be working, and there is no savings limit or cap on how many children you can claim for.

If you or your partner earn over £60,000, you may have to repay some or all of it through the High Income Child Benefit Charge — but you should still register a claim. Here is why that matters, and everything else you need to know.

Child Benefit was previously called Family Allowance. If you have heard it referred to by that name, it is the same payment, renamed in 1977.

What most people get wrong

“If I earn over £60,000 I shouldn’t bother claiming”

This is the most costly mistake people make with Child Benefit.

Even if you have to repay all of it through the High Income Child Benefit Charge, registering a claim protects your National Insurance record. If you or your partner is not working, those NI credits count towards your State Pension. A missed year of NI credits costs roughly £329 in reduced annual State Pension income — permanently.

Claiming also ensures your child is automatically registered for a National Insurance number before they turn 16. If you never claimed, your child will have to apply for one themselves.

High Income Child Benefit Charge: full guide – GOVexplained.

“Child Benefit counts against my Universal Credit”

It does not. Child Benefit is not treated as income for Universal Credit purposes. You can receive both at the same time without your UC award being reduced.

“Only parents can claim”

Anyone who is the main carer responsible for a child can claim — grandparents, older siblings, aunts and uncles, kinship carers. You do not have to be the biological parent. Only one person can claim per child, but the eligibility is wider than most people realise.

“The two-child limit means I can’t get Child Benefit for a third child”

Child Benefit has never had a two-child limit. You can claim for every child in your household regardless of how many you have.

The two-child limit that was abolished in April 2026 applied to the child element of Universal Credit — not to Child Benefit. These are two separate benefits with separate rules. If you have three or more children and were previously affected by that UC restriction, your UC entitlement may have increased from April 2026. Your Child Benefit entitlement was unaffected either way.

“Is Child Benefit means tested?”

No. Child Benefit is not means tested. Your income does not affect whether you can claim. However, if the higher earner in your household has an adjusted net income over £60,000, a tax charge applies that effectively claws back some or all of the payments. That is different from means testing — you still qualify, you just repay through the tax system.

How Child Benefit actually works

Child Benefit is a regular payment from HMRC to help with the cost of raising children. It is separate from Universal Credit, Tax Credits, and any local support you may receive.

You apply once, and payments continue automatically until your child reaches the age limit — or until your circumstances change. HMRC does not increase your payments when a new child arrives; you have to tell them.

Payments are made every four weeks, usually on a Monday or Tuesday, directly into your bank account.

Who can claim

You can usually claim Child Benefit if all of the following apply:

• You live in the UK
• You are responsible for a child under 16 — or under 20 if they are in approved full-time education or training
• You are the main carer for that child

Only one person can claim per child. If two people apply for the same child, HMRC will decide based on who the child normally lives with.

What counts as approved education or training (age 16–20)?

Payments can continue after your child turns 16 if they stay in approved non-advanced full-time education or training. This includes:

• A-levels and AS-levels
• Scottish Highers and Advanced Highers
• NVQs up to level 3
• T Levels
• Some foundation and access courses
• Certain approved training programmes

What does not qualify:

• University or higher education (this is advanced education — Child Benefit stops)
• Apprenticeships (these are paid employment — Child Benefit stops)
• Paid work of 24 hours or more a week

If your child is on an unpaid pre-apprenticeship training programme through a provider, contact HMRC to confirm whether it qualifies. The line between approved training and paid employment is a common source of confusion.

Payments stop on 31 August after your child’s 16th birthday unless you tell HMRC they are staying in approved education or training. This does not happen automatically.

Child Benefit when your child turns 16 – GOV.UK https://www.gov.uk/child-benefit-16-19

Can grandparents or other carers claim?

Yes. A grandparent, other relative, foster carer, or other person responsible for a child can claim if the child normally lives with them and no one else is already claiming for that child.

If you are taking on the care of a child from a family member, the original claimant must close their claim before you can start yours. This process often causes delays of six to eight weeks — be prepared for a gap in payments.

Special guardianship order holders and certain kinship carers may qualify; the rules for fostering arrangements vary. Check the GOV.UK guidance for your specific situation.

Who may not be eligible?

• Someone subject to immigration control with “no recourse to public funds” — though exceptions exist in some cases
• Anyone where another person is already claiming for the same child and the child does not primarily live with you
• People living abroad, unless they meet the specific rules for overseas claims

Child Benefit rates 2026/27

Confirmed rates from 6 April 2026

Source: HMRC Rates and Allowances — Tax Credits, Child Benefit and Guardian’s Allowance (confirmed April 2026)

How rates have changed

The 2026/27 increase is £1.00 per week for the first child and £0.65 per week for each additional child.

Annual Child Benefit by family size (2026/27)

Child Benefit rates are not automatically linked to inflation. They are set by the government at each April uprating and can be frozen, increased below inflation, or increased above it in any given year.

If you earn over £60,000

The weekly rates are the same for everyone. However, if you or your partner has an adjusted net income over £60,000, you may have to repay some or all of the benefit through the High Income Child Benefit Charge. The charge tapers between £60,000 and £80,000; above £80,000 the full amount is repaid.

You should still claim.

High Income Child Benefit Charge: full guide – GOVexplained.

If you live in Scotland

In addition to UK Child Benefit, you may be eligible for the Scottish Child Payment — an entirely separate payment administered by Social Security Scotland, not HMRC.

From April 2026, Scottish Child Payment pays £28.20 per week per eligible child under 16. To qualify, you must be in receipt of Universal Credit, Pension Credit, Income Support, income-based JSA or ESA, or Child Tax Credit or Working Tax Credit within certain income limits.

This is paid on top of your standard Child Benefit, not instead of it. Apply at mygov.scot or call Social Security Scotland on 0800 182 2222.

Scottish Child Payment – mygov.scot.

How to claim

Online — the fastest route for most people

Apply through your HMRC online account or the HMRC app. You will need:

• Your child’s birth or adoption certificate
• Your National Insurance number
• Your bank account details

The HMRC app allows you to scan documents directly using your phone’s camera.

For a child born abroad or if you are adopting: use paper form CH2, available from GOV.UK, and send it with the required supporting documents.

Processing time

Your first payment usually arrives within three to six weeks of applying. If HMRC needs extra evidence, it can take longer. After your first payment, you are paid every four weeks on a fixed day.

Backdating

You can backdate a Child Benefit claim by up to three months. This means if you apply late, HMRC can pay you from a date up to three months before your application — provided your child was already eligible from that date.

Apply as soon as possible after your child is born or comes into your care. Waiting costs you money that cannot be recovered once the three-month window has passed.

Who should make the claim?

Only one person claims per child. In a couple, it is usually more beneficial for the lower earner or non-working partner to be the claimant. This maximises the National Insurance credits accrued by the person with the weaker NI record. It also means the person least likely to trigger the High Income Charge holds the claim.

This does not affect how much you receive — the weekly rate is the same regardless of who claims.

How payments work

Payment schedule

• Paid every four weeks, usually on a Monday or Tuesday
• Your payment day is fixed from when you first claim
• The same day each period throughout the year

Bank holiday adjustments

If your payment date falls on a UK bank holiday, HMRC pays on the last working day before the holiday. You are not paid again on your usual date — the next payment remains four weeks after the early payment.

This commonly affects payments around Easter, the May bank holidays, and Christmas/New Year.

Weekly payments

Most people are paid every four weeks. You can request weekly payments if you are a single parent or receive certain income-related benefits. Contact the HMRC Child Benefit helpline to ask.

What time does the payment arrive?

Payments usually clear overnight or early in the morning on your payment day. The exact time depends on your bank. If the payment has not arrived by midday, check with your bank before calling HMRC — some banks process payments later than others.

The National Insurance credits you should not lose

This is the most underserved aspect of Child Benefit, and the reason why “always claim even if you earn too much” is not just boilerplate.

How it works

Claiming Child Benefit for a child under 12 automatically gives the claimant Class 3 National Insurance credits. These credits fill gaps in your NI record exactly as if you had been paying contributions through employment.

You need 35 qualifying years for the full new State Pension (currently £221.20 per week in 2025/26). Every year of NI credits from Child Benefit counts toward that total.

The cost of not claiming: A single missing qualifying year currently reduces your State Pension by roughly £6.32 per week — around £329 per year — for the rest of your life. Over a 20-year retirement that is approximately £6,580 per missed year of credits.

If you have a partner who is not working or earning below the National Insurance threshold, and you do not register a Child Benefit claim in their name, they accumulate no NI record for those years. This is a permanent loss that is difficult to remedy later.

State Pension forecast explained – GOVexplained.

The opt-out option

If your income is over £80,000 and you want to avoid the administrative overhead of the High Income Child Benefit Charge, you can claim Child Benefit but opt out of receiving the payments. You stop getting the money but keep the NI credits and your child’s automatic NI number registration. You can do this through your HMRC online account.

NI credits backdating from April 2026

From April 2026, HMRC opened a route for people who did not claim Child Benefit since 2013 to apply retrospectively for the NI credits they missed. Eligibility closely mirrors Child Benefit eligibility — if you would have been entitled to claim during those years, you can apply for the credits now.

This is a partial remedy, not a full fix. It does not recover the payments themselves, only the NI credits. If you stopped claiming or never claimed after the High Income Child Benefit Charge was introduced in 2013, this is worth investigating.

Common problems

Your payment has stopped without warning

This often reflects your child turning 16 in August. Child Benefit stops automatically on 31 August after your child’s 16th birthday — not on their birthday itself. A child who turns 16 in March will still receive payments until 31 August of that year.

If your child is staying in approved full-time education or training after 16, you must tell HMRC in advance. Payments do not continue automatically. The form to extend Child Benefit is available through your HMRC online account.

If you miss the notification window, your payments will stop. Contact HMRC as quickly as possible — they may be able to backdate the reinstatement, but this is not guaranteed.

Your child is 18 — when exactly does Child Benefit stop?

It depends on education status, not age. If your child remains in approved full-time, non-advanced education or training, Child Benefit can continue until their 20th birthday.

If they leave education at 18, Child Benefit stops at the next official cut-off date: February, May, August, or November. It does not stop on their 18th birthday.

You are getting less than expected

This can happen if your first payment only covered a partial four-week period, or if your payment date was adjusted for a bank holiday. Check your payment schedule before calling HMRC.

Also check: are all your children on the claim? Additional children are not added automatically when they are born. You must contact HMRC to add each new child.

You have separated from your partner — who keeps the claim?

Child Benefit can only be paid to one person per child. After separation, the person the child mainly lives with should be the claimant.

If the child has moved, the previous claimant must close their claim. The new main carer then makes a fresh application. This is not automatic, and overpayment risk is high if there is a delay in reporting. HMRC will recover any overpayment.

Your child has moved in with a relative

If your child now mainly lives with someone else — a grandparent, for example — and that person is not claiming Child Benefit, you need to close your claim and the relative should start a new one. The relative cannot claim while you are still registered.

You are a grandparent or kinship carer but being told you cannot claim

This can happen if the parent is still registered as the claimant even though the child no longer lives with them. The parent must close their claim first. Once that is done, you can apply. Allow for a gap of several weeks between the two processes.

Your child is doing an apprenticeship — does Child Benefit continue?

In most cases, no. Apprenticeships are paid employment. From the point your child starts an apprenticeship, Child Benefit normally stops. If they are on an unpaid pre-apprenticeship training programme, contact HMRC to confirm whether it qualifies as approved training.

HMRC has made an error on your claim

Errors on Child Benefit claims are more common than HMRC’s systems suggest — particularly around automatic stopping dates, bank holiday adjustments, and changes of circumstance. If you believe HMRC has made a mistake, call the helpline and request a review. Keep a record of the date you called and the name of the adviser. If the matter is not resolved, you can use HMRC’s formal complaints process.

When to take action

You have just had a baby or adopted a child

Apply immediately. You can backdate up to three months, so the clock is running from the day your child was born or arrived in your care. Apply even if you are a higher earner. Claim in the lower-earning partner’s name where possible.

A new baby has arrived and you already claim for another child

Add the new child to your existing claim. They are not added automatically. Contact HMRC or update your claim through your online account.

Your income has just crossed £60,000

Register for Self Assessment if you have not already, or use the HMRC PAYE HICBC service if your tax affairs are otherwise entirely handled through PAYE. Do not stop your claim entirely.

High Income Child Benefit Charge: full guide – GOVexplained.

Your child is approaching 16 and staying in education

Notify HMRC before the school year ends. Payments stop on 31 August unless you have already confirmed your child is continuing in approved education or training. Do not assume HMRC knows.

Your child has just left education or training before age 20

Tell HMRC as soon as their course or training ends. If you delay, you may be overpaid and will have to repay the excess. HMRC can recover overpayments through your tax code or directly.

You have separated from your partner

Both parties need to act. Decide who the child mainly lives with and update HMRC accordingly. Only one claim is valid — overpayment will be recovered from whoever continues to receive it incorrectly.

You want to change your bank details

Update through your HMRC online account or call the helpline. Do not stop payments without setting up the new account first.

Contact HMRC about Child Benefit

HMRC Child Benefit helpline: 

• 0300 200 3300 
• Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm

Use this number to:

• Start or change a claim
• Report a change of circumstances
• Query a payment
• Request weekly payments
• Opt out of receiving payments while keeping your claim registered
• Report a death or change in the child’s living arrangements

HMRC app and online account Most straightforward changes — adding a child, updating bank details, opting in or out of payments — can be done through your HMRC online account or the HMRC app without calling.

Child Benefit Office postal address HM Revenue and Customs, Child Benefit Office, PO Box 1, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE88 1AA

Use the postal address for sending original documents, paper CH2 forms, and formal correspondence.

Frequently asked questions

Is Child Benefit means tested? No. Any person responsible for a child can claim regardless of income, savings, or employment status. If the higher earner in your household has an adjusted net income over £60,000, a tax charge applies — but that is separate from eligibility. You still qualify; the charge repays some or all of the benefit through the tax system.

Does Child Benefit affect Universal Credit? 

No. Child Benefit is not counted as income for Universal Credit purposes. Receiving Child Benefit does not reduce your UC award. You can claim both at the same time.

Is Child Benefit taxable? 

Not directly. Child Benefit itself is not subject to Income Tax. However, if you or your partner has an adjusted net income over £60,000, the High Income Child Benefit Charge effectively claws back some or all of the payments through the tax system. The charge is collected via Self Assessment or, for PAYE employees with no other SA obligations, through a PAYE tax code adjustment.

Is Child Benefit the same as Child Tax Credit? 

No. These are two entirely separate benefits. Child Benefit is paid by HMRC to the main carer and is not means tested. Child Tax Credit is a legacy benefit administered separately, now largely replaced by Universal Credit for new claimants. You may be entitled to both, but the rules and amounts differ.

What was Family Allowance — is it the same as Child Benefit? 

Yes. Family Allowance was the name for this payment before 1977. It was renamed Child Benefit under the Child Benefit Act 1975, which came into full effect in 1977. If someone refers to “Family Allowance,” they mean the same payment that is now called Child Benefit.

Can I claim Child Benefit if I am self-employed? 

Yes. Being self-employed does not affect your eligibility for Child Benefit. The qualifying conditions are the same as for anyone else: you live in the UK, you are responsible for a child under 16 (or under 20 in approved education or training), and you are the main carer. Your self-employment income is relevant only for the High Income Child Benefit Charge if your adjusted net income exceeds £60,000.

Can a grandparent claim Child Benefit? 

Yes, provided the child normally lives with them and no one else is already claiming for that child. A grandparent, other relative, or any person who is the main carer can claim. If the child’s parent is currently registered as the claimant, they must close their claim before the grandparent can make a new application.

Does going back to work stop Child Benefit? 

No. Returning to work does not affect your eligibility for Child Benefit. The only income-related consideration is the High Income Child Benefit Charge, which applies if your adjusted net income exceeds £60,000. Below that threshold, working or not working makes no difference to your entitlement.

What is the two-child limit — does it affect Child Benefit? 

The two-child limit restricted the child element of Universal Credit to the first two children in a household. It was abolished from April 2026. Child Benefit has never had a two-child limit — you can claim for every child in your household regardless of how many children you have. The two benefits are administered and governed separately.

Can I claim Child Benefit for a child who does not live with me full time? 

You can claim if you are the person mainly responsible for the child — which generally means the child lives with you more than with anyone else. If the child splits time between two households, the person they live with for the majority of nights is usually the eligible claimant. Only one person can claim per child. If there is a dispute, HMRC decides based on where the child normally lives.

Next steps

• High Income Child Benefit Charge explained – GOVexplained
• State Pension forecast explained – GOVexplained
• Universal Credit explained – GOVexplained
• Free school meals explained – GOVexplained

Sources

• Child Benefit – GOV.UK
• Child Benefit rates – GOV.UK
• Tax Credits, Child Benefit and Guardian’s Allowance rates and allowances – GOV.UK
• Child Benefit when your child turns 16 – GOV.UK
• High Income Child Benefit Tax Charge – GOV.UK
• National Insurance credits – GOV.UK
• Scottish Child Payment – mygov.scot
• Scottish Child Payment – CPAG
• Five years of Scottish Child Payment – Scottish Government
• New process for paying the High Income Child Benefit Charge – ICAEW
• The High Income Child Benefit Charge – House of Commons Library