How are the child benefit rules changing?

The government says the changes will help more than half a million families. Only one person can claim child benefit for a child. There is no limit to how many children you can claim for. Child benefit is usually paid into a nominated bank account every four weeks.

You can find out how much child benefit you may be entitled to by using the government calculator. From April, it won’t be reduced until one parent earns more than £60,000, up from £50,000. But if you are a single parent or receive other benefits, such as universal credit, you can receive the money weekly. The rules apply across the whole of the UK.

Mr Hunt has announced a consultation about letting HMRC collect information about all the adults in the child’s house. Mr Hunt has also announced a consultation about letting HM Revenue and Tax payers collect information about all the adults in the child’s house. Claims will be based on total household income from April 2026. You can claim 48 hours after a birth or as soon as a child comes to live with you.

If you claim at a later point, payments can be backdated for up to three months. Claiming child benefit for a child under the age of 12 means you automatically get National Insurance (NI) credits. If a family splits up, the amount of child benefit paid depends on how many children there are, and where they live. If you have two children and one stays with each parent, you would both get £24 a week for each child.

If two families join together, the eldest child in the new family qualifies for the higher rate.

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