Child Benefit
Financial help for bringing up children
Child Benefit is currently available to almost all parents bringing up children, regardless of their income or level of savings. However, future changes for higher earners will take place in 2013.
Child Benefit is worth:
- £20.30 a week for your eldest child
- a further £13.40 for every other child.
Child Benefit is not taxable and is paid on top of any other money or benefits that you receive and savings that you have.
Who can claim Child Benefit
You can claim Child Benefit (and Child Tax Credit) for children up to the age of 16 (or up to age 20 for children staying on at school, in college or in unwaged training).
If your child is remaining in education or training after age 16, you must remember to notify the Child Benefit Centre (and the Tax Credits office), otherwise your payments will stop.
If your payments have already stopped, or if your child has returned to education or training – get in touch as soon as you can so that they can be reinstated.
You do not have to be the biological parent of a child to claim Child Benefit.
How to claim Child Benefit
Go to the HM Revenue and Customs website or call the Child Benefit Helpdesk for advice on how to claim.
Future changes for higher earners
From January 2013 Child Benefit will be withdrawn through an income tax charge for households where someone has an income over £50,000.