Here’s what it means for you
If you’re one of the millions of families claiming Child Benefit, you’ve got a little more money heading your way from 6 April. And if you haven’t claimed yet? Read on, because you could be missing out on hundreds of pounds.
How much will you get?
From 6 April, Child Benefit pays £27.05 a week for your eldest or only child (that’s £1,406.60 a year) and £17.90 a week for each additional child (£930.80 a year). That’s a rise of £1 a week, or £4 a month, for your first child, and an extra £0.65 a week, or £2.60 a month, for any others. There’s no cap on how many children you can claim for, so larger families benefit too. Payments are made every four weeks, straight into your bank account.
Not claiming yet? Don’t wait
More than 6.9 million families already receive Child Benefit, but only 72% of families claim it in their baby’s first year. That’s a lot of unclaimed money. Claims can only be backdated by three months, so the longer you leave it, the more you potentially lose. Claim as soon as you can after your baby arrives.
It’s easier than you think
The quickest and easiest way to claim, view and manage your Child Benefit payments is through the free HMRC app or online. It takes just a few minutes and over 1.5 million families have already claimed this way, with almost 85% of claims now made digitally. HMRC has put together a short YouTube video walking new parents through how to make a claim, which is worth a watch if you’d like a bit of extra guidance. More than 928,000 parents have used the HMRC app to manage their Child Benefit account since April 2025. With a simple swipe, you can:
- Make a new claim
- Update a change in circumstances
- Amend your personal or bank details
- Add additional children to your claim
- View or print proof of your entitlement to Child Benefit
- Let HMRC know if your child is continuing in full-time, non-advanced education or approved training
To make a claim you’ll need to create an online HMRC account and have the following to hand:
- Your child’s birth or adoption certificate
- Your bank details
- Your National Insurance number (and your partner’s, if you have one)
- If your child was born outside the UK, their original birth or adoption certificate plus passport or travel document.
Do you earn over £60,000?
If you or your partner earns more than £60,000 a year, you may have to pay back some or all of your Child Benefit through the High Income Child Benefit Charge. You can pay it directly through your tax code, meaning no Self Assessment tax return needed unless you have other reasons to file one. You can set this up through the HMRC app or on GOV.UK.
If you’d rather opt out of receiving payments altogether, it’s still worth making a claim, as you’ll still receive National Insurance credits, which count towards your State Pension.
Families who have previously opted out can restart their payments quickly and easily through the HMRC app or online.
Not sure if you’re eligible?
Head to MoneyHelper.org.uk and use their free Benefits Calculator, which will show you everything you may be entitled to. There’s also a Baby Cost Calculator to help you budget for a new arrival, and a Baby Money Timeline to help you plan your finances around key dates.
Don’t leave money unclaimed
Child Benefit exists to help with the real cost of raising children. If you’re not claiming, you’re leaving money on the table. It takes minutes to apply, payments land in your bank account every four weeks. If you’ve been putting it off, now is the time.