HMRC, the tax authority under the Labour Party government, has confirmed an increase in Child Benefit payments for the coming year, providing UK households with children a weekly boost of up to £45 following an April rule change.
New Payment Rates from April 6
Starting from 6 April, claimants will receive £27.05 per week (equivalent to £1,406.60 annually) for their eldest or only child, and £17.90 per week (or £930.80 per year) for each additional child. This means families with two children will receive a combined weekly payment of £45.
Official Advice
Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s Chief Customer Officer, emphasised the importance of claiming early: “Looking after a child can be expensive, especially a newborn baby. It takes a few minutes to claim Child Benefit via the app, and doing so as soon as you can after your baby is born will ensure you don’t miss out on vital financial support.”
Child Benefit is typically paid every four weeks and is automatically deposited into a bank account.
Additional Support Tools
Anna Sharkey from the Money and Pensions Service encouraged parents to explore available resources: “Use MoneyHelper’s free Benefits Calculator if you think you, or someone you know, might be eligible for Child Benefit. The calculator will show you all the benefits you’re eligible for. Other MoneyHelper tools for new parents include the Baby Cost Calculator to help you budget when having a baby, and the Baby Money Timeline which gives you key dates to help you plan your finances. Visit MoneyHelper.org.uk for free and impartial money guidance for everyday money management.”
Proving Eligibility for Child Benefit
You can normally use your Child Benefit award notice to prove you qualify for Child Benefit. Award notices have replaced Child Benefit numbers as the main way to prove your eligibility. You will not have a Child Benefit number if you first claimed after 23 February 2021. Alternatively, you may use a bank statement showing Child Benefit payments into your account, or access the online service or HMRC app to print or save your ‘proof of entitlement’ page. You will need to sign in to use this service; if you do not have sign-in details, you can create them. You may be required to prove your identity using photo ID such as a passport or driving licence to keep your details secure.
