You can apply for the right to deal with the Child Benefit of someone who cannot manage their own affairs, for example because they’re mentally incapable or severely disabled. This is called becoming an ‘appointee’. You can apply as an individual or as a voluntary organisation. If you’re paid to deal with someone else’s Child Benefit, you’re known as a ‘paid agent’. You’re not an appointee if you just help someone complete their claim form. How to become an appointee Contact the Child Benefit Office to apply. They’ll discuss if becoming an appointee is the best option and tell you what you need to do. You can arrange with someone’s bank or the Post Office to collect their payments without becoming an appointee. Your responsibilities As an appointee, you must do things like: complete the claim form deal with any letters from the Child Benefit Office report any changes that affect Child Benefit stop or restart payments where the person or their partner is affected by the High Income Child Benefit Charge The Child Benefit will be paid into your bank account. How to become a paid agent Your client must send a letter to the Child Benefit Office , saying you can deal with Child Benefit on their behalf. Stop or change an appointee or paid agent Write to the Child Benefit Office within one month of when you want to stop or change the appointee.

The Child Benefit Helpline can only discuss a claim with the person named on the claim form (or their appointee). A partner or someone else can get general advice but they must be ‘authorised’ to discuss a claim with the helpline. The process is different if you act for a lot of clients or you’re a paid agent. Get authorised The claimant must fill in form TC689 , or write a letter with the same information, and send it to the Tax Credit Office - the address is on the form. The authorisation lasts 12 months unless a different end date is put on the form. It usually takes 2 days to get authorised from when your form is received. Usually, you won’t get a letter confirming the authorisation. The Child Benefit Office will also need to have received the claimant’s Child Benefit claim form . More than one person can be authorised but they each must send a TC689 form. If you act for a lot of clients Write to the Tax Credit Office to register as an ‘intermediary organisation’ if you work in the voluntary sector and act for many people. You can get urgent authorisation online if you’re an intermediary organisation and you have a completed TC689. You must keep your client’s completed TC689 for 7 years from the date it was signed. If you’re a paid agent Your client must send a letter to the Child Benefit Office , saying you can deal with Child Benefit on their behalf. To authorise you to deal with High Income Child Benefit Tax Charge matters they also need to fill in form CH995 . Cancel an authorisation An authorisation can be cancelled by writing to the Child Benefit Office.

Claim and deal with Child Benefit for someone else

If your child has a baby

You can claim Child Benefit for a child you’re responsible for and their baby.

If your child is claiming the Child Benefit, you can collect the payment on their behalf by talking to their bank.

The Child Benefit Office can only pay Child Benefit into one account. This can be a joint account you share with your child, but their name must be on the account too.

This guide is also available in Welsh (Cymraeg).

View a printable version of the whole guide

Claim and deal with Child Benefit for someone else

If your child has a baby

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Claim and deal with Child Benefit for someone else

If your child has a baby

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