CHILD'S PAY
Hundreds of thousands of parents could have child benefit STOPPED in days if they don’t take action now
We explain how you can keep accessing the payment
HUNDREDS of thousands of parents have just days left to ensure their child benefit payment doesn't get cut off.
The government has warned parents to make a crucial online check if they want to keep receiving the benefit.
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It comes as some parents and guardians need to update their personal details on the government's website before midnight on May 31 to ensure their child benefit payments will continue in June.
You could be at risk of the change if your child is 16 or older and resuming full-time education, or if they went into further education or training but has now left.
16-year-olds who are still in education or training can get the benefit until they're 20 - but this will stop if the government isn't informed.
If you don't update the details, the benefit will pause on the first of four specified dates which falls after your child's 16th birthday:
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- the last day in February - when full-time non-advanced education or approved training finishes in December, January or February
- May 31 - when full-time non-advanced education or approved training finishes in March, April or May
- August 31 - when the young person is in Scotland taking a ‘higher certificate’ or ‘advanced higher certificate’ and entered for exams that finish before the end of May
- November 30 - when full-time non-advanced education or approved training finishes in September, October or November
The next deadline is May 31 - meaning any teens who are aged 16 on this date, and still eligible, are at risk of losing out.
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) says: “If you fail to update your details in time, you may still be able to claim Child Benefit, but your payments might be late.”
If you happen to miss the deadline you can reapply for your child benefit payment on the Gov.uk website.
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What is the child benefit payment?
The child benefit payment is an allowance paid to you by the government for each of your children.
It is usually paid every four weeks on a Monday or Tuesday - though this can differ on a bank holiday.
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In order to get the payment, you must have a child who is below the age of 16, or below the age of 20 but resuming education or an approved training scheme.
The amount of Child Benefit and Guardian’s Allowance rose on April 6 in line with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation figure of 6.7 per cent.
Across the 2024-25 year, a family with one child will get as much as £1,331 - a rise of £83.20.
Families can also get up to £881 this year per additional child, an - increase of £54.60.
Parents will get £102.40 every four weeks, equating to £25.60 per week for the first or only child, and £67.80 for each additional child.
There is no limit to how many children a family can claim.
Child Benefit pay rates 2024/25:
- Eldest or only child: £25.60, up from £24.00
- Additional children: £16.95, up from £15.90
Guardian's Allowance rates 2024/25:
- From April 2024: £21.75, a rise from £20.40
How to claim Child Benefit
Child benefit is worth up to £1,331 a year for your first or only child and up to £881 a year for additional children.
This works out at £102.40 every four weeks or £25.60 a week for your first child and £67.80 every 4 weeks or £16.95 a week for their siblings.
There is no limit on the number of children that can be claimed for.
Applying is straightforward and can be done in minutes at gov.uk or through the HMRC app.
Parents with a newborn baby should make a claim online as soon as possible and could then receive their first payment in as little as three days.
You can also backdate claims for up to three months.
Parents can make a claim and then choose to opt out of receiving Child Benefit payments can still receive National Insurance credits if one parent is not working.
National Insurance credits build up your entitlement to the state pension.
However, high-earners should beware of the High Income Benefit Charge.
Parents who earn over the threshold may not even realise they are receiving the benefit - and then could be asked to pay it back in full.
In the past, high earners who earned more than £60,000 were asked to pay a full bill covering the Child Benefit.
Meanwhile, anyone earning over £50,000 was asked to pay back a portion of the money in the form of extra Income Tax.
In recent changes, this has now increased to £80,000 and £60,000 respectively.
Read more on how the change affects you
Other reasons why Child Benefit could stop
Your Child Benefit Payment could also pause due to changing circumstances for yourself and your child.
Personal changes for parents such as changes to family life, such as marriage or divorce, could alter how much you're receiving.
You should let HMRC know as soon as these changes happen - as you may be eligible for more money.
HMRC should also be aware if any of the following circumstances have changed for your child:
- Your child has turned 16 or 20 if they are in education or training
- Your child is aged 16 to 20 and leaves education or training
- Your child is over 16 and starts working more than 24 hours per week
- Your child gets married or forms a civil partnership
- Your child goes missing or dies
- Your child lives away from you for more than eight weeks in a row
- Your child moves in with their partner on a permanent basis
- Your child leaves the country for more than 12 weeks, unless it is part of school education or to get medical treatment
- Your child goes to prison for more than eight weeks
Are you missing out on benefits?
YOU can use a benefits calculator to help check that you are not missing out on money you are entitled to
Charity works out what you could get.
Entitledto's determines whether you qualify for various benefits, tax credit and Universal Credit.
MoneySavingExpert.com and charity StepChange both have benefits tools powered by Entitledto's data.
You can use to determine which benefits you could receive and how much cash you'll have left over each month after paying for housing costs.
Your exact entitlement will only be clear when you make a claim, but calculators can indicate what you might be eligible for.
The amount of Child Benefit you get may also be reduced or completely stopped if you start getting payments from your local council or someone else who is looking after your children.
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And you may also lose out if you're receiving other benefits due to the benefit cap.
You can find further information on the Child Benefit payment on the Government website.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing [email protected].
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