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Check if you can get Child Benefit
Child Benefit can help you with the costs of your children. It’s usually paid every 4 weeks.
If you’re eligible you’ll get £26.05 a week for your first child and £17.25 a week for any children after that.
You can claim Child Benefit if:
- you’re ‘responsible for the child’
- the child is under 16 years old – or under 20 years old and still in education or training
It doesn’t matter if you work, or have savings and investments.
If you live abroad, you can’t usually claim Child Benefit, but there are some exceptions. The rules are complicated so get advice from your nearest Citizens Advice to see if you’re eligible.
You can’t get Child Benefit if your child:
- is in hospital or residential care and will be there longer than 12 weeks – unless you’re still spending money on the child’s needs
- is 16 or over, has left full time education or training and works more than 24 hours a week
- has been in prison or custody during the last 8 weeks
- has been looked after by a local authority for the last 8 weeks
- is getting income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, Universal Credit, tax credits, Income Support or Employment and Support Allowance
- is married or in a civil partnership – unless they’re either not living with their partner or their partner is in full-time education or training
If you’re getting other benefits, the amount of Child Benefit you get won’t reduce your other benefit payments unless the Benefit Cap applies. The Benefit Cap will only apply if you get Housing Benefit or the housing element of Universal Credit.
You can:
check if the Benefit Cap applies to you if you get Housing Benefit
check if the Benefit Cap applies to you if you get the housing element of Universal Credit
How to claim Child Benefit
You can claim Child Benefit at any time, but it’s best to do it as soon as your child is born or comes to live with you. If you’ve just had a baby you need to register the birth before you claim.
Your Child Benefit will be backdated to when the child was born – up to a maximum of 3 months – so you won’t miss out on payments.
You can make a claim for Child Benefit online on GOV.UK
You can also make a claim using the HMRC app which is available on the App store and the Google Play Store.
If you can’t make a claim online or using the app, you’ll need to download and fill out the claim form on GOV.UK