Child Benefit in the UK: Rates, Claims and the High Income Charge

What is Child Benefit?

Child Benefit is a payment from HMRC to people responsible for raising children. It is not means-tested in the traditional sense — most families can claim regardless of savings — but higher earners may have to pay some or all of it back through the High Income Child Benefit Charge (HICBC).

For many new parents, Child Benefit is one of the first household payments they encounter. It arrives separately from salary and can help with nappies, food and everyday costs, even if a higher earner in the household later repays part of it via tax.

How much is Child Benefit in 2025/26?

Rates change each April. For 2025/26, Child Benefit is around £26.05 per week for your eldest or only child and around £17.25 per week for each additional child. That works out to roughly £1,355 a year for one child, or about £2,252 for two children.

Payments are usually made every four weeks into a bank or building society account. Some parents on certain benefits can choose weekly payments instead.

Who can claim Child Benefit?

You can usually claim if you are responsible for a child under 16, or under 20 if they stay in approved education or training. Only one person can claim for the same child — typically the parent who lives with the child or the main carer.

You do not need to be the child's biological parent, but you must be responsible for them. If you or your partner earn over £60,000, you can still claim — you may just need to pay the HICBC through Self Assessment.

How to claim Child Benefit

Claim as soon as possible after the birth or when responsibility begins — you can backdate up to three months. Apply online through GOV.UK or complete form CH2 by post.

You will need the child's birth certificate (or adoption papers), your National Insurance number and bank details. HMRC may ask for proof of identity. Processing can take several weeks, so apply early rather than waiting until you need the money.

The High Income Child Benefit Charge explained

If you or your partner have adjusted net income over £60,000 in a tax year, the HICBC may apply. The charge claws back 1% of your Child Benefit for every £200 your income is above £60,000. At £80,000 or above, the charge equals 100% of the benefit received — effectively cancelling it out.

Example: one child, about £1,355 Child Benefit in the year. If the higher earner's income is £70,000, that is £10,000 above the threshold — 50 percentage points — so roughly half the benefit (£677) is repaid through Self Assessment.

The charge applies to the higher earner in the household, not necessarily the person who receives the payments. If both partners earn over £60,000, only the higher earner pays — but the charge is still based on total Child Benefit received by the family.

Do you need to register for Self Assessment?

If the HICBC applies to you and you are not already in Self Assessment, you must register with HMRC and file a tax return each year. Missing the deadline can lead to penalties even if you owe no extra tax beyond the charge.

The charge is usually paid as part of your Self Assessment bill by 31 January after the tax year ends. Keep records of how much Child Benefit you received — HMRC receives this data, but checking your own figures avoids surprises.

Should you still claim if you earn over £60,000?

Many higher-earning families still register for Child Benefit even when they know they will repay it. The main reason: claiming can protect the non-earning or lower-earning parent's National Insurance record through NI credits, which count toward the State Pension.

If the higher earner claims and opts out of payments, or if nobody claims, the stay-at-home parent may miss out on those credits. One common approach: the lower earner claims Child Benefit, the higher earner pays the HICBC via Self Assessment.

Alternatively, the higher earner can submit the claim but tick the box to stop payments while still receiving NI credits for a partner — check current GOV.UK guidance on the exact process.

Couples: who should claim?

If neither partner earns over £60,000, it usually does not matter much who claims — the money lands in the same household. If one partner earns above the threshold, consider who benefits from NI credits and who will handle the Self Assessment paperwork.

Child Benefit is not treated as the claimant's income for most benefits purposes, but the HICBC is a tax on the higher earner. Open conversations about salary, pension contributions and adjusted net income help you plan — pension contributions can reduce adjusted income and lower the charge.

Child Benefit alongside other support

Child Benefit is separate from Universal Credit, Tax-Free Childcare and free childcare hours. Receiving Child Benefit does not usually stop you using those schemes, though your overall household income affects eligibility elsewhere.

If you receive Universal Credit, Child Benefit counts as income when your award is calculated. Use our Universal Credit Estimator for a rough illustration only — the official GOV.UK benefits calculator gives your actual entitlement.

Calculate your Child Benefit

Use our free Child Benefit Calculator UK to estimate weekly, monthly and annual payments based on how many children you have. Pair it with our PAYE Salary Calculator to compare gross salary with take-home pay, and factor in the HICBC if you or your partner earn over £60,000.