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Child Benefit

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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 from the date you make the claim.

If you’re making a new claim for a child over 16, check they’re eligible.

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. 

Whoever claims will get National Insurance credits towards their state pension. The credits can fill gaps in your record if you’re not working or do not earn enough to pay National Insurance contributions.

You and your partner can claim for different children. If you live together, only one of you can claim at the higher rate, for the eldest child in the household. If you both claim at the higher rate, you may have to pay back some of the money.

If you’re under 16

You can either claim for your own child or someone responsible for you can claim for them on your behalf. You’ll usually get more if you claim yourself.

Before you start

You’ll need:

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

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

If you do not have the birth or adoption certificate

You can still claim without a birth or adoption certificate. This will take longer. You may be asked to post the certificate as proof after you’ve registered.

If successful, your claim will be backdated for up to 3 months from the date you make the claim.

If you do not post the certificate when asked, you may need to start the claim again.

If your child’s birth was registered outside the UK

You’ll need to post:

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

If your child’s only form of ID is an eVisa, we’ll check the details of this. You do not need to provide a share code.

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 post the certificate once you’ve got it.

There is a different way to claim Child Benefit if you or your partner are in the Armed Forces and your child’s birth was registered outside the UK.

Make a claim online

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

Start now

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.

View a printable version of the whole guide

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