Around 2,000 babies enter the world on 26 September every year, according to Census, so HMRC has reminded parents they can start receiving their first payment within a week of their newborn arriving.
This is because if you make a claim using the free HMRC app, or online two days after you give birth, the payment could arrive just three days later.
The support could lead to £1,331 per year for your first child and £881 for your second. There is no limit to how many children you can make the claim for.
This isn’t to be mistaken for the Universal Credit two-child limit, which pays families on low-income claims an extra £3,455 per year of financial support, but for just two children.
To qualify for Child Benefit, you need to be a parent of:
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- A child you live with aged under 16 years old
- A child aged under 20 who is in approved education or training with the armed services (or Government-sponsored career service).
If you’ve just given birth, to make a claim you need to have your child’s birth certificate, your bank details and both you and your partner’s (if applicable) National Insurance numbers.
Alternatively, if you’ve given birth outside of the UK, you will also need the original birth certificate and passport or relevant travel document.
Should you forget to claim, you can still be paid Child Benefit with a backdated payment of up to three months.
The limit to what you can claim is reduced if your household earns a combined salary of between £60,000 and £80,000, as it is then hit with a High Income Child Benefit Charge (HICBC).
The Government provides a tax calculator for you to work out how much you are entitled to.
‘We hope parents take full advantage’
Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s director general for customer services, said: “With more babies set to be born on 26 September than any other day, we hope that parents of these newborns take full advantage of their Child Benefit entitlement.
“We’ve made it simpler than ever to claim online and receive a first payment within as little as three days – so download the app today or search on Gov.uk.”
