Child Benefit
Make a claim
You can claim Child Benefit 48 hours after you’ve registered the birth of your child, or once a child comes to live with you.
Child Benefit can be backdated for up to 3 months.
Deciding who should claim
Only one person can get Child Benefit for a child, so you need to decide whether it’s better for you or the other parent to claim.
Whoever claims will get National Insurance credits towards their state pension. The credits can fill gaps in your record if you’re not working or do not earn enough to pay National Insurance contributions.
You and your partner can claim for different children. If you live together, only one of you can claim at the higher rate, for the eldest child in the household. If you both claim at the higher rate, you may have to pay back some of the money.
Make a claim online
Use this service to make a claim for Child Benefit or to add another child to an existing claim.
You might need to download, print and send your completed form to HMRC, along with any documents you need to provide.
Watch this video to find out more about how to claim Child Benefit online.
How to claim Child Benefit online video on YouTube.
Before you start
You’ll need:
- your child’s birth or adoption certificate
- your bank or building society details
- your National Insurance number
- your partner’s National Insurance number, if you have one
You can order a new birth or adoption certificate if you’ve lost the original.
If your child’s birth was registered outside the UK
You’ll need to send:
- your child’s original birth or adoption certificate
- your child’s passport or the travel document they used to enter the UK
Any documents you send will usually be returned in 4 weeks.
If you do not have the certificate you need, make a claim now and send the certificate once you’ve got it.
Other ways to claim
If you cannot apply online, you can:
Claiming Child Benefit for someone else
You may be able to manage someone else’s Child Benefit claim.