HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has issued an important reminder to parents who have more than one child. In a post on X, the UK tax authority drew attention to the support available through Child Benefit, a form of tax-free financial support from the Government for parents or guardians of a child under 16 or under 20 if they stay in approved education or training.
The post read: “Have more than one child? Claim Child Benefit now and you could receive:
- £27.05/week for your eldest child.
- £17.90/week for each additional child.
“You’ll also get National Insurance credits to protect your State Pension – even if you’re not currently working. Claim via the HMRC app or online now.”
A graphic shared with the post informs Brits that you can claim “quickly and easily” on the app.
Though only one person can get Child Benefit for a child, there’s no limit on how many children you can claim for.
Claiming it comes with a number of benefits, including:
- the allowance paid to you for each child – you’ll usually get it every four weeks
- National Insurance credits which count towards your State Pension
- a National Insurance number for your child without them having to apply for one – they’ll usually get the number shortly before they turn 16 years old
And while the benefit isn’t means tested, it is subject to a High Income Child Benefit Charge if the claimant or a partner they’re living with receives Child Benefit, and at least one of them earns more than the threshold.
HMRC previously flagged the rule in a post on X, writing: “Attention parents! Recently had a pay rise? If you’re now earning over £60k and you get Child Benefit you may need to pay some of it back.
“You can use the new High Income Child Benefit Charge service if you don’t already complete Self Assessment.”
In these cases money is clawed back by HMRC via a tax return. It’s paid back by the person in the relationship earning over the threshold, which is currently £60,000.
You can find out more about the threshold rules here.