Figures have revealed that over 6.9m families in the UK are receiving Child Benefit, but only 71 per cent of new parents claim Child Benefit for their baby in the first year. This means thousands of families may be missing out on financial support.

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has reminded parents to claim Child Benefit, which can boost their family finances by over £1,300 a year if they have one child, or by a further £881 a year for each additional child.

Who can claim?

Parents, guardians or carers can claim Child Benefit if they are responsible for bringing up a child under 16 or under 20 if they are in approved training or education.

Currently, 86 per cent of claimants are women. However, either parent can make the claim.

The parent who claims will also receive National Insurance credits, which count towards their State Pension.

When and how to claim

Child Benefit can be claimed as early as 48 hours after registering the baby’s birth, and payment could be received from HMRC within three days. Claims can only be backdated up to 12 weeks, so HMRC encouraged parents to claim promptly to avoid missing out.

To apply for Child Benefit, the documents needed are:

  • Child’s birth or adoption certificate
  • Bank details
  • National Insurance number for you and your partner (if you have one)
  • Child's original birth or adoption certificate and passport or travel document for children born outside the UK

HMRC recommends using its free app or going online to manage a Child Benefit account. By creating an account, users can check payments or change personal details anytime.

What’s the High Income Child Benefit Charge?

The High Income Child Benefit Charge means that some may need to be paid back if you or your partner earns above the threshold.

However, since April 6, 2024, the amount earned before paying the High Income Child Benefit Charge has increased to £60,000, with a taper up to £80,000. HMRC said that if you or your partner have an income between £60,000 and £80,000, you may financially benefit from claiming Child Benefit.

If you’ve previously claimed but opted out of payments, you can restart these through the HMRC app or online.

If you or your partner claimed Child Benefit before April 6, 2024, and the higher earner had an individual income of over £50,000, you may have to pay the tax charge for 2023 to 2024. Check the Child Benefit tax calculator to find out more.

For more information visit www.gov.uk

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