Child Benefit 2025/26 | Rates and how to claim

Child Benefit is money you can get every month to help with the cost of raising a family.

You can get Child Benefit if you are responsible for a child.

Only one person can claim Child Benefit for a child. The child has to be under 16 years old, or under 20 if they are still in education or training.

Child Benefit payments are not means-tested and how much you get is instead decided by how many children you are responsible for. You don’t need to be in work or have any savings to be eligible. There is no upper limit for how many children you can claim Child Benefit for. 

Who can get Child Benefit?

Anyone who is responsible for bringing up a child can receive Child Benefit to help with the costs. This is regardless if they are the parent or not. You are generally responsible for a child if they live with you or you are paying for things like food and clothes.

This means if you are fostering a child or have adopted, you can still claim as long as your local council is not paying anything towards the child’s accommodation or maintenance.

Only one person can claim for a child, meaning if you are in a couple, only one of you will be able to claim. 

You can claim for a child if they are under the age of 16, or under 20 if they are in approved full-time education or training, such as A-Levels and NVQs.

If your child gets paid to work for 24 hours or more per week (instead of education or training), you can no longer get Child Benefit.

How much is Child Benefit in 2025/26?

How much of the benefit you receive is calculated on a weekly basis. Child benefit in 2025/26 is £26.05 a week for the first child, and £17.25 for each additional child.

Child Benefit rates

• Only/eldest child – £26.05
• Two children – £43.30
• Three children – £60.55

To calculate how much you could get, start with £26.05 and add £17.25 for each additional child. If you have five children, you will get £95.05 each week.

If you have one child, you will get £1,354.60 a year.

For two children, you will get £2,251.60 a year.

For three children, you will get £3,148.60 a year.

When is Child Benefit paid?

This benefit is normally paid every four weeks on a Monday or a Tuesday. If it is a bank holiday, the payment day will change.

After you apply for Child Benefit, it may take up to 12 weeks for you to receive the payment. But it will be backdated for up to three months

Can I get Child Benefit weekly?

If you are a single parent you can ask to have your Child Benefit paid weekly.

Similarly if you are in receipt of certain benefits, such as Universal Credit, you can ask the HMRC to make your payments weekly.

How does it work for separated parents?

Only one person can claim Child Benefit for a child. If you and your partner have separated, you both won’t be able to receive the payment for a single child.

For someone with more than one child this may work slightly differently.

For example, if, you and your partner have separated and have two children, if you each become responsible for one child – each child will be counted as an ‘only’ child. This means both parents will receive £26.05 a week.

If your child will mostly live with one parent, then the parent the children are primarily living with will be eligible for Child Benefit as normal. The rate is £26.05 for one child and £17.25 for each additional child.

What happens to Child Benefit if I earn over £60,000?

How much you earn does not affect your eligibility for Child Benefit. But you may be taxed on the benefit. This is known as High Income Child Benefit Tax Charge.

The threshold changed in April 2024 from £50,000 to £60,000. So once you earn £60,000 or over, you will have to pay the High Income Benefit Tax Charge.

• If both you and your partner earn over £60,000, the person earning the higher amount will have to pay the High Income Child Benefit Tax Charge. This means you still can make a claim. However, you’ll have to pay back 1% of the Child Benefit for every £200 you earn between £60,000 and £80,000. 
• If you or your partner earn £70,000 a year, you have to pay back 50% of what you get in Child Benefit as tax.

What happens to Child Benefit if I earn over £80,000?

If you earn £80,000 or more, you have to pay back the full amount through tax.

Even if you lose all your benefit through tax, it may still be worth making a claim as the person who receives Child Benefit can give you National Insurance Credits, which count towards your State Pension.

How to claim

To make a claim for Child Benefit for up to two children, you need to complete the CH2 form. For additional children, you must fill in the CH2 (CS) claim form.

What you should know before you make a claim:

•    This benefit can be backdated up to three months. So, if you want to maximise the amount you get, make a claim before your child is three months old.
•    Two people cannot claim for the same child. This means you have to decide who would benefit the most. Keep in mind that the person who claims Child Benefit will get National Insurance Credits towards their State Pension.

What if my child is adopted?

If your child is adopted, you have to provide the HMRC with the original adoption certificate.

If you do not currently have your child’s birth or adoption certificate, you can still send in your claim and send the certificates separately later.

What if my child was born in Northern Ireland or outside the UK?

If your child was born in Northern Ireland or outside the UK, you need to send in their birth certificate with your application.

Why should I claim Child Benefit?

Child Benefit can give a significant boost to your household’s income and make childcare more affordable. Childcare can be expensive, and it is important that you take advantage of the schemes you are eligible for.

Read this Nursery fees advice for a detailed guide on how you can get help with childcare costs. There is also a separate article to guide you through applying for Child Benefit online.