03 January 2024 , 12:08
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HMRC has made a major change to the way you can claim Child Benefit from today
The tax office has announced that Child Benefit has "gone digital" and you can now make new claims for the cash online. The claims process can be done entirely online through GOV.UK with payments potentially made in as little as three days.
Before this - and since Child Benefit was first introduced in 1977 - Brits needed to fill out a paper form, post it, and wait as long as 16 weeks for their first payment. Child Benefit is a monthly payment from HMRC for anyone with parental responsibilities in the UK - so this can be parents, grandparents, adoptive parents and some foster parents if they have a parental role. You can claim Child Benefit if you are responsible for a child under 16, or under 20 if they stay in approved education or training.
The payment is worth £24 a week – or £1,248 a year – for the oldest, or only child. For each additional child after this, you receive a payment worth £15.90 a week – or almost £827 a year. There is also no limit on the number of children parents can claim for. Claims can also be backdated for up to 12 weeks and HMRC frequently encourages those eligible to claim as soon as possible.
Claiming Child Benefit means that the parent will receive National Insurance credits which count towards their State Pension. It also means their child will automatically receive a National Insurance number when they turn 16 years old.
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Nigel Huddleston, financial secretary to the Treasury, said: “Family time is precious, especially when you have a newborn baby, so it’s great news that HMRC is enabling parents to save time on claiming their Child Benefit online so they can focus on what truly matters.”
Suzanne Newton, HMRC’s interim director general for transformation, said: “We know how much parents and guardians rely on Child Benefit to help with essential costs. We’ve made it far easier and quicker for families to claim this crucial help by making it digital. Parents and guardians can apply online when it suits them and be paid within days, not weeks. Go to GOV.UK and search ‘Claim Child Benefit online’ and follow the simple steps to apply.”
You can now apply for Child Benefit through Gov.uk here and you can put in a claim for the money from the day after a child’s birth has been registered. You will need the child's birth certificate to hand when claiming. To put in a claim, you will need to log in to or create a Government Gateway account - you will need proof of ID to create an account. Once your account has been activated, you will then be able to apply for Child Benefit.
When making your claim, you will need:
- The child’s birth certificate
- Your bank details
- Your National Insurance number
- Your partner’s National insurance number (if you have a partner)
Families with adopted children, or whose child’s birth was registered outside the UK, can claim for Child Benefit online but will need to send additional information through the post to support their application. Parents with children over 6 months’ old may also be required to download and print their completed claim form and send it through the post.