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
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.

Tax credits for childcare

You can get tax credits for childcare while you work. You will not get 100% of your childcare costs. The approximate amount you’ll get is:

  • up to £122.50 a week (1 child)
  • up to £210 a week (2 or more children)

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.

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