Report changes that affect your Child Benefit
Tell the Child Benefit Office about any changes to your family life. If you do not, you may not get all the money you’re entitled to, or you may be overpaid and have to pay money back.
If you’ve already reported a change and you’re waiting to hear back, check when you should expect a reply.
If you do not report a change to your address, and the Child Benefit Office is not able to contact you, your payments will stop.
This guide is also available in Welsh (Cymraeg).
If your child’s circumstances change
Child Benefit stops on 31 August on or after your child’s 16th birthday if they leave approved education or training.
Tell the Child Benefit Office if your child:
Tell the Child Benefit Office straight away if your child:
- starts paid work for 24 hours a week or more
- will live away from you for either 8 weeks in a row or more than 56 days in a 16-week period
- will go abroad permanently or for more than 12 weeks
- moves to or from Northern Ireland
- will be in hospital or residential care for more than 12 weeks
- dies
- changes their name
- changes their gender
- goes missing
- gets married, forms a civil partnership or starts to live with a partner
- starts getting certain benefits - Income Support, Jobseeker’s Allowance, Universal Credit, tax credits or Employment and Support Allowance
- goes to prison for more than 8 weeks
Tell the Child Benefit Office of any other changes to your child’s circumstances. Include the date of the change.
If your circumstances change
Your benefits (tax credits, for example) may be affected if your family circumstances change.
You must tell the Child Benefit Office straight away if:
- your bank account or building society account changes (you’ll need a Government Gateway user ID and password to use this service)
- your name or address changes
- you change your gender
- a relationship ends
- you start a new relationship, for example you move in with a new partner or remarry
- the child’s parent has died
- you intend to go abroad for more than 8 weeks
- you or your partner intend to move abroad permanently or for more than a year
- you’re a Crown servant leaving the UK for a posting abroad
- you move to or from Northern Ireland
- you have a baby, or a child comes to live with you
- payments or contributions for a child who does not live with you stop or change
- you’re paid to look after a child by a local council or similar
- your immigration status changes
- you lose the right to reside in the UK
- you get a prison sentence of more than 8 weeks
Tell the Child Benefit Office of any other changes to your family life. Include the date of the change.
Other ways to report changes
You can also call or write to the Child Benefit Office.
The Child Benefit tax charge
Changes in circumstances may mean you may have to pay the Child Benefit tax charge. The charge affects you if your income (or your partner’s) is £50,000 or more.
You must still report changes even if you’ve stopped getting Child Benefit because of the Child Benefit tax charge.