HMRC confirms £77.56 extra monthly payments for households | Personal Finance | Finance
There’s no limit for the number of children Child Benefit can be claimed for (Image: Getty)
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has confirmed extra £77.56 monthly payments for UK households claiming Child Benefit.
Child Benefit can be claimed if you’re responsible for bringing up a child who is under the age of 16, or under 20 if they stay in approved education or training. The benefit can be claimed 48 hours after a child’s birth has been registered, or once a child comes to live with you, but claims can only be backdated for up to three months from the date a claim is made. As such, parents should start claiming as soon as they’re eligible to avoid losing at least three months worth of payments.
A 3.8% uplift in April this year means Child Benefit is now worth £27.05 per week for the eldest or only child (or £1,406.60 per year), but parents can also claim for any additional children they have at a rate of £17.90.
Over a full year, this amounts to £930.80 extra in Child Benefit payments, or around £77.56 per month on average.
So in total, households with two children can get £2,337.40 worth of Child Benefit payments per year, while those with three children will receive £3,268.20 annually from HMRC.
But there is no limit – other than the Benefit Cap – so if you had four children, or five, and so on, you could get even more than £3,268.20, gaining an extra £77.56 per month on average for each additional child.
HMRC issued a reminder at the end of June for parents with more than one child to claim the benefit to gain an extra boost of cash each month, confirming the £17.90 weekly rate per additional child.
In a post on X, HMRC said: “Claim Child Benefit now and you could receive:
£17.90/week for each additional child
“You’ll also get National Insurance credits to protect your State Pension – even if you’re not currently working. Claim via the HMRC app or online now.
“Have more than one child? That’s £17.90 a week for every additional child. Claim quickly and easily on the HMRC app.”
You can claim Child Benefit in full if your individual adjusted net income is up to £60,000, but if your earnings are between £60,000 and £80,000, then you will be subject to paying the High Income Child Benefit Charge (HICBC).
HMRC will start to claw payments back at a rate of 1% for every £200 you earn above £60,000 and when your annual income reaches £80,000 or more, the full amount must be repaid to HMRC.
But it is still worth claiming Child Benefit even if you earn £80,000 or more as it means you’ll still get National Insurance credits, which are vital for protecting your entitlement for the full State Pension later in life, and you’ll also get a National Insurance number for your child, without them having to apply before they turn 16.
