The payment designed to help with the costs of raising a child – here’s what you should know
His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has issued an important message concerning backdated payments for an essential government benefit. Eligible Brits may receive up to £897 annually for each fresh claim made, and can organise this quickly using the tax office’s mobile app.
In a post to Twitter, HMRC said: “You can claim Child Benefit for every child you’re responsible for, regardless of how many children you have. Child Benefit can be backdated for up to 3 months from the date you make the claim.
“You cannot recover payments from before that period. The quickest and easiest way for parents and carers to claim, view and manage Child Benefit payments is by downloading the free and secure HMRC app.”
It also added: “Already claiming Child Benefit for your first child? Claim online to get up to £897 a year for each additional child you have.” As suggested by HMRC, Child Benefit is a government payment designed to help with the costs of raising a child.
The fund is usually issued to anyone bringing up a child who is under 16 or under 20 if they remain in approved education or training. While there’s no limit to how many children you can claim for, only one parent or guardian can get the Child Benefit for a child.
Currently, there are two Child Benefit rates available. For an eldest or only child, the payment is generally £26.05 per week, while for additional children, the benefit is £17.25 per week.
Any Child Benefits received count towards the benefit cap. If you are affected by this, you will still receive the full payment amount, but other benefits might be reduced.
Meanwhile, if you or your partner earns over a certain threshold, you could end up with no extra money from the Child Benefit. This is mainly because you may need to pay the High Income Child Benefit Charge.
Guidance from Martin Lewis’ MoneySavingExpert explains: “If you (or your partner) earn more than £60,000 a year, you will still get the full amount of Child Benefit, but you will have to pay some of it back. This is known as the ‘high income Child Benefit tax charge’. The charge is tapered, so the more you earn over £60,000, the more you need to pay back.”
Official UK Government advice also adds: “Your adjusted net income is your total taxable income before any personal allowances and less things like Gift Aid. Your total taxable income includes interest from savings and dividends. If you have to pay the charge, you can still get the other advantages of Child Benefit like National Insurance credits. The charge will not be more than the amount you get from Child Benefit payments.
“If both you and your partner have an individual income that’s over the threshold, then whoever has the higher adjusted net income is responsible for paying the charge.
“If either you or your partner has an individual income of £20,000 or more above the threshold (£10,000 or more before April 2024), you’ll be charged the same amount as you make through Child Benefit payments. You’ll end up with no extra money from Child Benefit.
“You can make a claim and opt out of getting payments if you do not want to pay the charge. You can still get the other advantages provided by Child Benefit, like National Insurance credits.”
Eligible people can claim the Child Benefit online here. The Government’s website also offers a YouTube tutorial that takes you through the steps of claiming the benefit for yourself.
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