Claim Child Benefit

How to claim

Fill in a Child Benefit claim form CH2 and send it to the Child Benefit Office.

Child Benefit Office (GB)
Washington
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE88 1ZD

If your child is adopted, include their original adoption certificate.

Include your child’s original birth certificate if their birth was registered:

• in Northern Ireland
• outside the UK - also send the passport or travel document they used to enter the UK

You don’t need to send the birth or adoption certificate if you’ve claimed Child Benefit before and are making a new claim for the same child.

If you don’t have the certificates you need

Send your claim form now and send the certificate once you’ve got it.

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

When to claim

Claim Child Benefit as soon as you have registered the birth of your child, or they come to live with you.

Child Benefit can be backdated for up to 3 months - make your claim as soon as possible.

It can take up to 12 weeks to process a new Child Benefit claim (or longer if you’re new to the UK).

Claiming Child Benefit for someone else

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

If you disagree with a decision

You can challenge a decision about your claim. This is called asking for mandatory reconsideration.

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