Make a claim

You can claim Child Benefit 48 hours after you’ve registered the birth of your child, or once a child comes to live with you.

Child Benefit can be backdated for up to 3 months.

Deciding who should claim

Only one person can get Child Benefit for a child, so you need to decide whether it’s better for you or the other parent to claim. The person who claims will get National Insurance credits towards their state pension if they’re not working.

Make a claim online

Use this service to make a claim for Child Benefit or to add another child to an existing claim.

You might need to download, print and send your completed form to HMRC, along with any documents you need to provide.

Start now

Watch this video to find out more about how to claim Child Benefit online.

How to claim Child Benefit online video on YouTube.

Before you start

You’ll need:

  • your child’s birth or adoption certificate
  • your bank or building society details
  • your National Insurance number
  • your partner’s National Insurance number, if you have one

You can order a new birth or adoption certificate if you’ve lost the original.

If your child’s birth was registered outside the UK

You’ll need to send:

  • your child’s original birth or adoption certificate
  • your child’s passport or the travel document they used to enter the UK

Any documents you send will usually be returned in 4 weeks.

If you do not have the certificate you need, make a claim now and send the certificate once you’ve got it.

Other ways to claim

If you cannot apply online, you can:

Claiming Child Benefit for someone else

You may be able to manage someone else’s Child Benefit claim.