Tax credits if you have a baby

If you have a baby, you might be able to get more money if you’re already getting Child Tax Credit or Working Tax Credit.

If you cannot make a new claim for tax credits, you might be able to apply for Universal Credit or Pension Credit.

What you can get

Tax credit Approximate amount
Child Tax Credit Up to £4,000 per year
Tax credits for childcare while you work Up to £122.50 a week (1 child)
Up to £210 a week (2 or more children)

You will not get 100% of your childcare costs
Working Tax Credit Up to £2,435 per year

Even though you’ve stopped work to have a baby you’re entitled to get Working Tax Credit for:

  • the first 39 weeks of maternity (or adoption) leave
  • your period of ordinary paternity leave

To qualify, you must have been working at least 16 or 30 hours a week before your leave. The actual number of hours depends on your circumstances.

How to claim

Update your claim by reporting a change in your circumstances online or by phone.

Contact HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) within 1 month of the birth so your claim can be backdated to the date of birth. If you do not, your tax credits will only be backdated by 1 month from the date you told HMRC about the birth.

Example

Your baby is born 1 September.

You tell HMRC on 1 January so your tax credits get backdated to 1 December.

If you’d told them by 1 October you’d be getting tax credits from 1 September.

Related content