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A significant number of parents could be eligible to receive an additional £27 each week if they complete the necessary paperwork soon after their baby’s birth. Child benefit is a government allowance meant to support families with the costs of raising children. Currently, it provides £27.05 per week for the first child, and £17.90 per week for any further children.
Recent statistics reveal that nearly one-third of parents with eligible children fail to submit a claim for child benefit before their baby turns one year old. Since the payments can only be backdated up to three months from the date of application, some families could be losing out on hundreds of pounds during the busy and overwhelming first months of parenthood.
To receive child benefit payments, which arrive every four weeks, one parent must file a claim. This also ensures the claiming parent accumulates National Insurance credits that contribute towards their state pension. The claim process requires a few documents: the child’s birth or adoption certificate, bank account details, and the National Insurance numbers of both the claimant and their partner, if applicable.
Claims can be made as soon as 48 hours after registering the baby’s birth, but the payments will only be paid back three months from when HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) receives the application. According to HMRC data, over 6.8 million parents were in receipt of child benefit in the year ending August 2025, yet only 69% applied before their child’s first birthday. This means numerous families are potentially missing out on financial support they are entitled to. The tax authority also noted that some may opt out due to restrictions linked to the High Income Child Benefit Charge, which reduces benefits if one parent’s income exceeds £60,000 annually, and stops payments altogether at an £80,000 threshold
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
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