Child Benefit
Child Benefit is a benefit for people responsible for dependent children. Most families with children can claim Child Benefit.
Child Benefit if you have come from outside the UK
You may not be able to get Child Benefit if you, or your child, do not meet the conditions about immigration status and residence in the UK. This can apply to some people from abroad, including some EEA nationals who are not working. If you are not sure whether you can claim Child Benefit, you should get advice from a registered immigration advisor.
Who should claim Child Benefit
You should claim Child Benefit if:
- You are responsible for a child under 16.
- Or you are responsible for a young person aged 16-19 in certain circumstances.
Being responsible for a child normally means that the child lives with you. The person responsible for the child does not have to be the parent, but only one person can claim Child Benefit for one child at the same time.
If you share care of a child or young person with somebody else, you may need advice about what will happen to Child Benefit. You may be able to decide between you who will make the claim. If you cannot agree and make competing claims HMRC will use priority rules to help them decide who should be awarded it. You can have an arrangement where different people claim Child Benefit for different children (if you have responsibility for more than one child shared with another person), or one person claims Child Benefit and another person claims Child Tax Credit or the child responsibility element of Universal Credit.
You cannot usually claim Child Benefit if your child is in the care of the local authority. You can get information about this from the Family Rights Group, or seek further advice from Citizens Advice.
In some cases, you can get Child Benefit if you contribute to the cost of supporting a child, but this will usually only apply if no one else is claiming. You should get advice if you think this applies to you.
Who counts as a child for Child Benefit
You can claim Child Benefit for children under 16, and for young people aged 16 to 19 if they are in full-time, non advanced education. Non advanced education includes A levels, GCSEs, and NVQ/SVQs at level three or below. If a child over 16 is doing a degree, you can’t claim Child Benefit for them.
If your son or daughter is 19, you can continue to claim Child Benefit for them only if they started their course, or were enrolled on it, before their 19th birthday. Child Benefit will stop at age 20, or when they finish the course if that is earlier.
More information about who can claim Child Benefit is on the government website.
How much is Child Benefit
Child Benefit is paid at a higher rate for the eldest child and a lower rate for any younger children. If you have twins the first twin to be born is the elder child. You can only receive the higher rate of Child Benefit for one child. The higher rate is £27.05 a week and the lower rate is £17.90 a week (April 2026/27).
If you live with a partner who has children from another relationship, and the children also live with you, you can only get the higher rate of Child Benefit for the oldest of all the children.
Child Benefit and higher earners
If you or a partner you live with have taxable income of more than £60,000 a year (£50,000 prior to 6 April 2024), some or all of your Child Benefit may have to be paid back through a tax charge. You can choose not to claim Child Benefit, but in most cases it is advisable to claim it even if you will not receive it, so that you still get the benefit of National Insurance credits if you need them (see below). You can have a look at the Child Benefit pages on the government website to find out more (the charge is known as the ‘High Income Child Benefit Tax Charge’).
National Insurance credits and Child Benefit
If your child is under 12 and you’re not working or do not earn enough to pay National Insurance contributions, Child Benefit can help you qualify for National Insurance credits. These credits count towards your State Pension. They protect it by making sure you do not have gaps in your National Insurance record.
How to claim Child Benefit
Claiming Child Benefit is usually straightforward, as most parents get a claim pack when their baby is born.
Alternatively, you can make a claim online, using the HMRC App or call the Child Benefit Office on 0300 200 3100.
Child Benefit can be backdated for up to three months (this means it is paid for a period before you make your claim). So, as long as you claim within three months of your baby’s birth, you will not lose any money.
You can find out how to claim Child Benefit on the government website.
This advice applies in England, Wales and Scotland. If you live in another part of the UK, the law may differ. If you are in Northern Ireland you can visit the Labour Relations Agency or call their helpline Workplace Information Service on 03300 555 300.
Our helpline and online contact form is now closed as we wind down our operations. Our free legal advice pages remain available and up to date until further notice. You can find a list of trusted organisations that may be able to help you below.
| Organisation and link to website | Area of Advice | Telephone |
|---|---|---|
| Employment Rights | ||
| ACAS | Acas gives employees and employers free, impartial advice on workplace rights, rules and best practice. We also offer training and help to resolve disputes. | 0300 123 1100 |
| Citizens Advice (England & Wales) | Citizens Advice is a charity which provides free, confidential, and independent advice on employment, legal, financial, housing, and consumer problems | 0808 223 1133 |
| Citizens Advice (Scotland) | Citizens Advice is a charity which provides free, confidential, and independent advice on employment, legal, financial, housing, and consumer problems | 0800 028 1456 |
| Maternity Action | Maternity and Parental Rights at Work and Benefits for Families & NHS charges for maternity care | 0808 801 0488 |
| Pregnant Then Screwed | HR Advice Line – for questions on employment rights, flexible working, parental leave or workplace discrimination | 0300 222 5799 |
| Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS) | The helpline advises and assists individuals on issues relating to equality and human rights, across England, Scotland and Wales. | 0808 800 0082 |
| Trade Union | If you are a union member, contact your union for support. If not, you may wish to join, but check whether support is available for existing issues. | |
| Health and Safety Executive (HSE) | Guidance on workplace health and safety rights and accepts reports of serious workplace health and safety concerns. | |
| Advicenow | Provides free legal information, guides, self-help tools and training to help people deal with legal issues and understand their rights. | |
| Protect | Provides advice and support to people raising concerns about whistleblowing | 020 3117 2520 |
| Zero Hours Justice | Offers information and support on the rights of workers on zero-hours and insecure contracts | 01904 900 151 |
| Legal Advice and Representation | ||
| Law Centres Network | Law Centres work within their communities to defend the legal rights of local people. You can use their website to find your local Law Centre. | |
| LawWorks | The LawWorks Clinics Network provides free initial advice to individuals on various areas of law including employment law, social welfare law, housing matters, consumer disputes, debt and welfare rights. | |
| Advocate | Advocate is a charity that finds free legal assistance from volunteer barristers | |
| South West London Law Centres | Provides free, independent legal advice to people who cannot afford a lawyer, including advice on employment, housing, debt, immigration issues. | 020 8767 2777 |
| Employment Tribunal Litigants in Person Support Scheme (ELIPS) | ELIPS provides pro bono assistance to unrepresented litigants. It currently covers London Central, Cardiff, Bristol, Midlands (West), Newcastle, Leeds and Manchester Employment Tribunals. | |
| Legal Aid Check your eligibility for Legal Aid online | Legal Aid funding is only available for employment cases involving discrimination. | |
| YESS Law | Employment law advice and support, including settlement agreements. Yess Law do not represent clients in Employment Tribunal Proceedings | 020 3701 7530 |
| The Free Representation Unit (FRU) | The Free Representation Unit (FRU) is a charity that provides legal advice, case preparation and advocacy in employment & social security tribunal cases if you have a hearing date at a tribunal in London and the South East and your case is referred by a referral agency | |
| Employment Tribunal Customer Contact Centre | Provides information about the Employment Tribunal process but does not offer legal advice. | 0300 123 1024 |
| Appoint a solicitor The Law Society provides information on finding a solicitor. | If you are able to afford to do this, you can instruct a solicitor who is an expert in maternity and family friendly rights. A good solicitor will give you honest advice about the strengths and weaknesses of your case, the likely costs and s/he should try to resolve your case as soon as possible and so keep the costs you have to pay to a minimum. | |
| Disability Law Service | Provide free legal advice on community care, employment, housing, discrimination, public law and welfare benefits to disabled people and their carers | 0207 791 9800 |
| Child Law Advice | Provided by Coram Children’s Legal Centre, advice for Litigants in person | |
| Rights of Women | Women’s voluntary organisation committed to informing, educating and empowering women concerning their legal rights | 020 7251 6577 |
| Benefits and Financial Support | ||
| Citizens Advice (England & Wales) | Citizens Advice is a charity which provides free, confidential, and independent advice on employment, legal, financial, housing, and consumer problems | 0808 223 1133 |
| Citizens Advice (Scotland) | Citizens Advice is a charity which provides free, confidential, and independent advice on employment, legal, financial, housing, and consumer problems | 0800 028 1456 |
| Advice Local | Your local guide to help with employment and work issues, benefits, money, housing problems and more | |
| Age UK | Provide free, confidential advice, practical support, and companionship | 0800 678 1602 |
| Carer’s UK | Provide advice on benefits, rights, and emotional and peer support. | 0808 808 7777 |
| Scope | Offers information, advice and support for disabled people and their families, including guidance on benefits, work and independent living. | 0808 800 3333 |
| NRPF Network | Provides guidance and resources on no recourse to public funds (NRPF) and support options for people affected by immigration-related benefit restrictions. | 0800 169 0283 |
| Maternity Allowance helpline (DWP) | Maternity Allowance is a government benefit for pregnant women or new mothers who do not qualify for Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) from their employer. | |
| HMRC Statutory Payment Dispute Team | Resolves disputes about entitlement to statutory payments, including maternity, paternity, adoption, shared parental, parental bereavement and neonatal care pay. | |
| Pregnancy, Maternity and Baby Support | ||
| Maternity Action | Maternity and Parental Rights at Work and Benefits for Families & NHS charges for maternity care | 0808 801 0488 |
| Tommy’s | Provide advice and support to parents-to-be, expectant parents, and families who have experienced baby loss | 0800 0147 800 |
| Bliss | Support and information for families of premature and sick babies, including emotional support, neonatal care guidance | |
| Twins Trust | Offers support, information and peer support for families with twins, triplets and multiple births | 0800 138 0509 |
| Sands | Sands works to support anyone affected by the death of a baby | 0808 164 3332 |
| Best Start in Life | Advice and support for your child’s development | |
| Mental Health and Wellbeing | ||
| Mind | Mind empower individuals experiencing mental health problems through advice and support | 0300 102 1234 |
| Maternal Mental Health Alliance | Charity and network of 160 organisations, dedicated to ensuring women and birthing people affected by perinatal mental health problems have access to high-quality, compassionate care | |
| Pandas | Pandas offer hope, empathy and support for every parent, carer or network affected by Perinatal Mental Illness | |
| Samaritans | Provide emotional support to anyone in distress, struggling to cope, or at risk of suicide | 116 123 |
| Domestic Abuse | ||
| Women’s Aid | Offers support, information and signposting for women and children experiencing domestic abuse | |
| Support for single parent families | ||
| Gingerbread | Offers advice and information support for single parents on work, benefits, finances and family issues. | |
| One Parent Families Scotland | Provides advice and support to single parents in Scotland including benefits, money and health and wellbeing. | 0808 801 0323 |
| Disability | ||
| Contact | For families with disabled children | 0808 808 3555 |
| Carer’s support | ||
| Carer’s UK | Provide advice on benefits, rights, and emotional and peer support. | 0808 808 7777 |
| Childcare | ||
| Childcare Service Helpline | Contact HMRC if you need help applying for Tax-Free Childcare, applying for free childcare if you’re working or using your online childcare account. | 0300 123 4097 |
| Best Start | Provide information on all available childcare support | |
| Coram – Family Information Service | Provide a tool to search for contact details for your local Family Information Service who can provide advice and support on childcare in your area |
The information on the law contained on this site is provided free of charge and does not, and is not intended to, amount to legal advice to any person on a specific case or matter. If you are not a solicitor, you are advised to obtain specific legal advice about your case or matter and not to rely solely on this information. Law and guidance is changing regularly in this area.
We cannot provide advice on employment rights in Northern Ireland as the law is different. You can visit the Labour Relations Agency or call their helpline Workplace Information Service on 03300 555 300.