Child Benefit — What It Is, Who Gets It, and How to Claim

Child Benefit is one of the few genuinely universal benefits left in the UK — every parent or guardian responsible for a child can claim it, regardless of income. But high earners often wrongly assume they shouldn’t bother claiming at all, missing out on valuable National Insurance credits in the process. This guide covers what Child Benefit actually is, who can claim, how much it pays, and why claiming matters even if you’ll end up paying some or all of it back.

How much is Child Benefit?

For 2026/27, Child Benefit pays:

• £27.05 a week for your eldest or only child
• £17.90 a week for each additional child

That works out to roughly £1,406.60 a year for one child, or £2,337.40 a year for two children. There’s no limit on the number of children you can claim for — unlike some other benefits, Child Benefit has never had a “two-child limit.”

Payments are usually made every four weeks, though single parents and some other claimants can request weekly payments instead.

Who can claim

You can claim Child Benefit if you’re responsible for a child under 16 (or under 20 if they’re still in approved full-time education or training). You don’t need to be the child’s biological parent — you just need to be responsible for their upbringing, which can include grandparents, other family members, or guardians in the right circumstances.

Only one person can claim Child Benefit for a particular child, even in households where care is shared.

The High Income Child Benefit Charge

If either parent (or partner) in the household has an individual adjusted net income over £60,000, some or all of the Child Benefit is clawed back through the tax system via the High Income Child Benefit Charge (HICBC). This is based on individual income, not combined household income — so two parents each earning £59,000 (£118,000 household income) pay no charge, while a single earner on £90,000 in a household with no other income does.

See our dedicated guide on the High Income Child Benefit Charge for exactly how the charge is calculated and what your options are.

Why you should still claim, even if you’ll pay it all back

This is the single most important thing to understand about Child Benefit: claiming is almost always worth it, even for high earners who will pay back the entire amount through the HICBC.

That’s because claiming Child Benefit — even if you opt out of actually receiving the payments — provides National Insurance credits to the parent or carer who isn’t working or earning below the National Insurance threshold. These credits count towards the 35 qualifying years needed for a full State Pension. A parent who doesn’t claim (perhaps assuming there’s no point because of the HICBC) can end up with gaps in their National Insurance record that are difficult or costly to fix later, potentially costing thousands of pounds in lost State Pension over a full retirement.

How to claim

• Apply through GOV.UK or by post using the CH2 form, as soon as possible after your child is born or comes to live with you
• You’ll need your child’s birth certificate details and your own National Insurance number
• If you’re a high earner and don’t want the administrative hassle of the HICBC, you can claim Child Benefit but opt out of receiving the payments — this still protects your National Insurance credits and your child’s automatic National Insurance number registration, without needing to deal with the tax charge through Self Assessment

If you missed claiming in previous years

If you didn’t claim Child Benefit in past years — perhaps because you assumed it wasn’t worth it due to your income — HMRC has opened a route to apply retrospectively for the National Insurance credits you missed, even without backdating the actual payments. See our guide on backdating a Child Benefit claim for how this works.

Common mistakes

• Not claiming at all because of high income. This is the single biggest mistake — you lose valuable National Insurance credits for no financial benefit, since you can opt out of payments instead of not claiming entirely.
• Assuming it’s based on household income. The HICBC is based on each individual’s income, not combined household income, which can produce unexpected results for couples with very different earnings.
• Not registering the child’s National Insurance number early. Claiming Child Benefit also triggers your child’s automatic National Insurance number registration ahead of their 16th birthday, which is a helpful administrative step regardless of your income.
• Forgetting to update HMRC about full-time education. If your child stays in approved full-time education after 16, you need to confirm this to keep Child Benefit going until they turn 20.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to be the child’s parent to claim? No — you need to be responsible for the child’s upbringing, which can include grandparents or other family members in the right circumstances, but only one person can claim per child.

Is there a limit on how many children I can claim for? No — Child Benefit has never had a two-child limit, unlike the child element of Universal Credit.

Should I claim if I know I’ll have to pay it all back through the tax charge? Yes, almost always — claiming and opting out of payment (rather than not claiming at all) protects valuable National Insurance credits and your child’s National Insurance registration.

How is the High Income Child Benefit Charge calculated? It’s based on the higher earner’s individual adjusted net income, not household income — see our dedicated guide on the charge for the full calculation.

What if my child stays in education after 16? You can continue receiving Child Benefit until they turn 20, as long as they’re in approved full-time, non-advanced education or approved training, but you’ll need to confirm this with HMRC.

Can both parents claim for the same child? No — only one person can claim Child Benefit for a particular child, even where care is shared between two households.

How do I opt out of receiving payments without losing my National Insurance credits? You can claim Child Benefit and then elect not to receive the payments through your HMRC online account — this avoids the tax charge admin while keeping the National Insurance credit protection.

What if I missed claiming years ago? You may be able to apply retrospectively for the National Insurance credits you missed, even if you can’t backdate the actual payments beyond the normal limit — see our backdating guide for details.

Sources

• GOV.UK — Child Benefit
• GOV.UK — High Income Child Benefit Charge