If, like thousands of others, you’ve just had a baby born in the most popular birth months of September and October or this month, congratulations! You may well have registered their birth, be settling into a routine or getting more comfortable with not having one! Finding a few spare minutes for yourself may be a little harder – let alone time to think about family finances but Child Benefit can help.
We all know time (and money) can be in short supply when caring for a new baby, so parents need a quick win – to ensure they’re getting what they’re entitled to receive for their growing family with minimal time and effort. That is where Child Benefit can help. Latest figures show more than 6.9 million families in the UK are receiving Child Benefit, but only 71% of new parents claim Child Benefit for their new baby in the first year, which means thousands of families may be missing out on much needed cash.
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is reminding new parents that finding a few spare minutes to claim Child Benefit can boost their family finances by over £1,300 a year if they have one child or by a further £881 a year for each additional child. As a bonus, it’s also really simple to claim via the HMRC app and online at GOV.UK, at a time to suit them.
Who can claim?
Parents, guardians or carers can claim Child Benefit if they’re responsible for bringing up a child under 16 or under 20 if they are in approved training or education. Caring for a new baby can be full on but only one parent needs to claim Child Benefit. Currently 86% of claimants are women although either parent can make the claim. The parent who claims will also receive National Insurance credits which count towards their State Pension.
When and how to claim
You can claim Child Benefit as early as 48 hours after you register your baby’s birth and could receive payment from HMRC within as little as 3 days. Claims can only be backdated up to 12 weeks, so claim now to avoid missing out.
Before you start, you’ll need:
Child’s birth or adoption certificate
Bank details
National Insurance number for you and your partner, if you have one
Child's original birth or adoption certificate and passport or travel document, for children born outside the UK
You’ll then need to head to the free and secure HMRC app or go online. If you haven’t got an HMRC online account already, you’ll need to create one. You can then easily manage your Child Benefit account including checking payments or making any changes to your personal details through the account or on the HMRC app, any time of the day or night.
HMRC’s Child Benefit online services, which have been shortlisted as a finalist in “Best Application of Technology” category in the 2025 Customer Satisfaction Awards, have already benefited millions of users.
What’s it worth?
Child Benefit is worth £1,331 a year for your first or only child and £881 a year for each additional child. With no limit on the number of children you can claim for it’s a significant boost to your household budget. It’s usually paid every four weeks directly into your bank account, but can be paid weekly in certain circumstances.
Not only does Child Benefit help you with your family finances now, it can also:
Boost your future finances as you’ll receive National Insurance (NI) credits (until your child is 12). Filling gaps in your National Insurance record will help you reach full State Pension entitlement.
Ensure your child automatically gets an NI number, which will be sent when they are 15 years and 9 months.
Be used as proof of entitlement for other benefits or government support. You can download, save and print your ‘proof of entitlement’ on the HMRC app or online.
What’s the High Income Child Benefit Charge?
The High Income Child Benefit Charge means that if you or your partner earns above the threshold you may need to pay some of it back. If you’re worried that your income may be too high to get Child Benefit, there’s good news. Since 6 April 2024, the amount you can earn before you need to pay the High Income Child Benefit Charge increased to £60,000, with a taper up to £80,000. If you or your partner have an income between £60,000 and £80,000 you may now benefit financially from claiming Child Benefit.
If you’ve previously claimed but opted out of payments, you can easily restart these through the HMRC app or online.
If you or your partner claimed Child Benefit before 6 April 2024, and the higher earner had an individual income of over £50,000, you may have to pay the tax charge for 2023 to 2024. You can check the Child Benefit tax calculator to find out more. If you need to pay the charge, you must register for Self Assessment.
Is it naptime yet? Just enough time to go online and find out how Child Benefit could help you and your family.
