Child benefit: How much is it going up and who can claim it?

Child benefit payments increase by 1.7% on 7 April.

More families have been able to claim child benefits after the limit on earnings was raised.

Who gets child benefit?

Only one person can claim child benefit for a child. There is no limit to how many children you can claim for.

You can get child benefit if you are responsible for bringing up a child who is:

• under 16

• under 20 if in approved education or training (you must inform HMRC)

It is usually paid into a bank account every four weeks. However, if you are a single parent or receive certain other benefits, such as universal credit, you can receive the money weekly.

The rules apply across the UK.

How much is child benefit worth from April 2025?

From 7 April child benefit is worth:

• £26.05 a week for the eldest or only child (up from £25.60)

• £17.25 a week for younger children (up from £16.95)

You can find out how much child benefit you may be entitled to by using the government calculator.

How much can I earn before I lose child benefit?

There is a limit to the amount you or your partner can earn before you start to lose child benefit.

Under the High Income Child Benefit Charge, payments start to reduce if one of you earns £60,000. They stop entirely when one of you earns £80,000.

The thresholds were increased from £50,000 and £60,000 in the 2024 Spring Budget, by the then-Conservative government.

However, the rules have been criticised for unfairly penalising single parents and families with one high earner.

A household where two parents earn £60,000 - with a total household income of £120,000 - can get the full amount.

But in a single income household the benefit is reduced once the parent earns £60,000 and cut altogether once they earn £80,000.

• Planned reform to child benefit scrapped

How do you apply for child benefit?

You can claim child benefit 48 hours after you have registered a birth, or as soon as a child comes to live with you.

If you claim at a later point, payments can be backdated for up to three months.

You can claim online, by post or by phone.

You need the following documents:

• your child's birth or adoption certificate

• your bank or building society details

• your National Insurance (NI) number

• if you have a partner, their NI number

Only one parent can claim child benefit

How does child benefit affect National Insurance credits?

Claiming child benefit for a child under the age of 12 means you automatically get NI credits, which count towards your state pension.

These credits can help fill gaps in your NI record if you are not working or if you don't earn enough to pay NI contributions.

The government advises that you should still fill in the child benefit claim form even if you opt out of getting payments, so that you can get NI credits.

Doing so also means your child will automatically get an NI number when they turn 16.

• What is NI and how much do workers and employers pay?

• Check your National Insurance record

What happens if your family circumstances change?

If a family splits up, the amount of child benefit paid depends on how many children there are, and where they live.

If you have two children and one stays with each parent, you would both get the higher amount for each child.

If you share custody of one or more children, only one of you can claim child benefit on their behalf.

The eldest will still be entitled to the higher amount, and any younger children will get the lower payment.

If two families join together, the eldest child in the new family qualifies for the higher rate, and any other eligible children get the smaller amount.