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 £21.80 a week for your first child and £14.45 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 16 to 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
If you're not a UK citizen
The rules depend on whether you're a citizen of a country in the EU, EEA or Switzerland.
The EEA includes EU countries and Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. Check which countries are in the EU and EEA on GOV.UK.
If you're a citizen of a country in the EU, EEA or Switzerland
To apply for Child Benefit you need to show:
- you have either settled status or a right to claim benefits in the UK - this is called a ‘right to reside’
- you’ve lived in the UK, Ireland, Channel Islands or Isle of Man for the last 3 months - this is called the ‘3-month living in test’
Your right to reside depends on things like your work, family and personal situation. You can check if you have a right to reside.
You can only claim Child Benefit if you have:
-
British citizenship and can prove you are ‘habitually resident’
-
pre-settled status from the EU Settlement Scheme and another right to reside
-
indefinite leave to remain or settled status from the EU Settlement Scheme
If none of these apply to you, you might be able to make a late application to the EU Settlement Scheme. You’ll need to have a good reason for missing the deadline of 30 June 2021. Find out more about claiming benefits if you’re from the EU.
Find out more about staying in the UK if you're from the EU.
If you're a citizen of a country outside the EU, EEA or Switzerland
You can’t apply for Child Benefit if you’re subject to immigration control.
To apply for Child Benefit you need to show you’ve lived in the UK, Ireland, Channel Islands or Isle of Man for the last 3 months - this is called the ‘3-month living in test’.
If you’ve come from Ukraine because of the invasion
The 3-month living in test doesn’t apply to you if you:
- were living in Ukraine by 31 December 2021
- left Ukraine because of the invasion
- have a visa that gives you the right to stay in the UK
If you're a returning UK resident
You'll need to show you've lived in the UK, Ireland, Channel Islands or Isle of Man for the last 3 months - this is called the '3-month living in test'. This means you won’t get your first payment of Child Benefit until 3 months have passed. You should apply for Child Benefit before your 3 months have passed, so your payments start as soon as possible.
If you’ve come back from Afghanistan since 15 August 2021
If you’re British or have indefinite leave to remain, you don’t have to take the 3-month living in test. This means you can claim Child Benefit straight away.
If you or your partner earns £50,000 or more a year
If you earn £50,000 or more before tax each year you can still claim Child Benefit, but you'll have to start paying a 'Child Benefit tax charge'.
If you live with a partner and you both earn £50,000 or more, whoever earns the most will have to pay the tax charge - no matter who makes the claim for Child Benefit.
The more you earn over £50,000, the higher the tax charge. If your income goes above £60,000 the extra you pay in tax will cancel out what you get in Child Benefit. But it might still be worth claiming if one of you isn't working.
You can find out how much your tax charge will be on GOV.UK.
If one of you isn't working
Whoever isn't working should make the claim, even if your partner earns over £60,000. This is because by claiming you'll build up National Insurance contributions which count towards your state pension. It will also mean your child automatically gets a National Insurance number when they reach 16 years old.
If your partner earns £60,000 or more, when you fill in the claim form you can tick a box not to get paid Child Benefit - so your partner won't have to pay the extra tax and you'll still build up your National Insurance contributions.
If you’re an Afghan citizen and came to the UK after 15 August 2021
You might be able to claim Child Benefit straight away. You will need to show you left Afghanistan because of the fall of the Afghan government on 15 August 2021.
You'll need to show a document saying why you left Afghanistan when you make a claim for Child Benefit. What document you can show will depend on your situation. If you've got a letter from the UK's Home Office saying your immigration status, you can show this when you make a claim.
If you don't have a letter from the Home Office, you can show a document saying you've come to the UK through either of the following ways:
- the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy, ARAP
- the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme, ACRS
If you were employed by the UK government in Afghanistan, you should be eligible for the ‘Afghanistan Locally Employed Staff Ex-Gratia Scheme’. If you’re eligible, you can claim Child Benefit straight away.
You can check if you’re eligible for the Afghanistan Locally Employed Staff Ex-Gratia Scheme on GOV.UK.
Check you're responsible for the child
You'll usually be responsible for the child if one of the following applies:
- you live with them
- you regularly pay for the costs of their care - for example for clothing or food
If you pay to support the child, you can only claim Child Benefit if no one else is claiming it and you spend at least the Child Benefit amount on your child's needs each month.
If you're a foster parent or look after someone else's child as part of an informal agreement, you can claim Child Benefit as long as your local council isn't paying towards the child's accommodation or maintenance. If you're not sure, contact your local council to check.
If you have a partner or ex-partner
Only one person can claim Child Benefit for each child - you don't have to be the parent if you're responsible for the child.
If you live with your partner
Either of you can claim Child Benefit.
If one of you isn't working, it's best for them to make the claim. This is because they'll get National Insurance contributions which will improve their state pension amount. It will also mean your child automatically gets a National Insurance number when they reach 16 years old.
If you've separated from your partner
If you've separated from your partner and you're both responsible for the child, you'll have to agree between you who will make the claim. This will usually be the person the child lives with most of the time.
If you can't reach an agreement, you can both make a claim and let HMRC decide who will get the Child Benefit. There are complicated rules about who has priority but HMRC will usually give Child Benefit to the person the child lives with the most.
You can't appeal HMRC's decision about who can claim. To make sure you give HMRC the right information about your situation so they make the best decision, get advice from your nearest Citizens Advice.
If your partner or ex-partner has already made a claim and you disagree, you can make a claim as well - HMRC will decide who gets the benefit. There are complicated rules about who has priority but HMRC will usually give Child Benefit to the person the child lives with the most.
Check what counts as education or training
Your child is in education if they're studying for more than 12 hours on average a week. For example, A-levels, Scottish Highers, NVQ levels 1-3 or continuing home education. They must have started the course or enrolled on it before the age of 19.
Your child will be in training if they're on a training scheme and not getting paid.
For example, a Foundation Apprenticeship or Traineeship.