Over 1.4 million parents and carers are already claiming the benefit
Parents or carers looking after children under the age of 16 can claim an HMRC benefit that provides over £100 per month if you meet certain criteria. However, even those that do not qualify for financial support may still be able to bolster their state pension by putting in a claim.
HMRC urged people to check their eligibility for Child Benefit, sharing on X the three potential benefits it has for parents and carers. The department also highlighted how claims can now be made online.
Claiming Child Benefit can provide
- £26.05/week for your first child
- £17.25/week for each additional child
- National Insurance credits towards your State Pension
To be eligible, you need to be raising a child who is under 16, or under 20 if they are in approved education or training. You’ll also need to be living in the UK and the child must either be living with you or you pay towards their care around the same amount that you would get from the benefit.
If you or you partner earned over £60,000 for the 2024/2025 tax year you may have to pay some of the Child Benefit back through the High Income Child Benefit Charge. If your income is over the threshold, you can choose to get the payments and pay the tax charge or opt out of getting the payments altogether.
Opting out of the payments means you can still get the other support from Child Benefit like National Insurance credits. For children under 12, you will automatically get National Insurance credits when claiming Child Benefit.
Only one person can get Child Benefit for a child, but there is no limit as to how many children you can claim for. For families with just one eligible child, this can earn £104.20 per month.
These credits count towards your state pension and can be a lifeline for people who are not working or not earning enough to pay National Insurance contributions while raising children. For the full new state pension you need around 35 years’ worth of these credits or contributions.
Even if you do not need the credits, you may be able to transfer them to your partner or a family member that provides care for your child through Specified Adult Childcare credits.
Putting a claim in for Child Benefit will also provide a National Insurance number for your child without them having to apply for one. They’ll usually get this number shortly before they turn 16.
More information and the online application can be found on Gov.uk
