From April 6, Child Benefit will rise by £1 a week for the first or only child, and by 65p per week for each additional child.
Next week, some 6.9m families across the country will benefit from a rise in Child Benefit payments – but maybe don’t go wild just yet. It’s going up only by a modest amount.
Photo by Annie Spratt / Unsplash.
From April 6, Child Benefit for the first or only child will rise by £1 from £26.05 to £27.05 per week, or from £1354.60 to £1406.60 per year. The rate for each additional child – with no limit on the number of additional children – will rise by 65p from £17.25 to £17.90 per week, or from £897 to £930.80 per year.
As we reported in November, the government scrapped the controversial two-child cap on Child Benefit, meaning benefit is available for each child in any family, no matter how many there are.
To be eligible for Child Benefit, a person must be responsible for bringing up a child who is under 16, or under 20 if they are in education or training. Only one person can receive Child Benefit for any given child. A fee applies if you earn more than £60,000.
According to government figures, only 72% of eligible families claimed Child Benefit in the first year of a child’s life. Claims can only be backdated by three months from date it is received by HMRC, so the government encourages all parents and carers to apply as soon as possible for the money to which they are eligible.
Myrtle Lloyd, Chief Customer Officer at HMRC, says: ‘Looking after a child can be expensive and 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.’
Anna Sharkey, from the Money and Pensions Service, adds: ‘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.’
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