Last updated: 4 November 2026. Rates for the 2026/27 tax year (6 April 2026 to 5 April 2027).
If you’ve just had a baby, or a child has come to live with you, Child Benefit is one of the first things to sort out. It’s regular money paid straight to you, and claiming it can also protect your State Pension, even if you don’t end up keeping the money.
This guide explains how much Child Benefit is in 2026/27, who can claim, how to apply and what happens if you or your partner earn over £60,000.
How much is Child Benefit in 2026/27?
| Who it’s for | Weekly rate | Roughly per year |
|---|---|---|
| Eldest or only child | £27.05 | About £1,407 |
| Each additional child | £17.90 | About £931 |
Rates from GOV.UK. Yearly figures are the weekly rate × 52, rounded.
There’s no limit on the number of children you can claim for. Child Benefit is usually paid every four weeks into your bank account (or weekly in some cases).
Who can claim Child Benefit?
You can usually claim if you’re responsible for a child who is:
- Under 16, or
- Under 20 and in approved education or training (such as A levels, T levels or qualifying unpaid approved training; apprenticeships do not qualify)
Only one person can get Child Benefit for each child. If you live with a partner, only one of you can claim for each child. Most people living in the UK can claim, but some people with certain immigration statuses can’t.
How to claim
- Claim online or through the HMRC app, usually once your baby’s birth is registered (or a child comes to live with you).
- You’ll need your bank details, your National Insurance number and your child’s birth certificate details.
- Payments are usually set up within a few weeks.
Claim promptly: Child Benefit can usually only be backdated up to 3 months, so don’t wait.
Why claim even if you earn over £60,000?
If you or your partner have an adjusted net income over £60,000, you may have to pay back some or all of your Child Benefit through the High Income Child Benefit Charge:
- £60,000 to £80,000: you repay 1% of your Child Benefit for every £200 over £60,000
- £80,000 or more: the charge equals all of your Child Benefit
But you should still fill in the claim form, and you can choose not to receive payments. Here’s why:
- National Insurance credits: if you’re not working or earn less than the lower earnings limit, claiming gives you NI credits towards your State Pension. This matters a lot for parents who stay at home with children
- Your child gets their National Insurance number automatically before their 16th birthday
- If your income drops later, you can easily start receiving payments
My guide to the High Income Child Benefit Charge and the Child Benefit tax calculator explain exactly how much you’d keep. Paying more into a pension can reduce your adjusted net income; see my salary sacrifice pension calculator.
Child Benefit for 16 to 19 year olds
Child Benefit doesn’t automatically stop at 16. It can carry on until your child’s 20th birthday if they stay in approved education or training. That usually means:
- Full-time, non-advanced education, such as A levels, T levels, Scottish Highers, BTECs at level 3 or below, or GCSEs, at school or college (on average more than 12 hours a week of supervised study)
- Some unpaid training courses, such as Foundation Learning in England or Traineeships
It doesn’t usually count if your child goes to university, is on an apprenticeship, or does a course paid for by their employer.
HMRC normally writes to you in the year your child turns 16 to ask whether they’re staying on. Reply to the letter, or your payments will stop on 31 August after their 16th birthday. You can also update it in the HMRC app.
If you’re separated or share care
Only one person can get Child Benefit for each child, even if you share care equally. If you can’t agree who should claim, HMRC decides, usually based on who the child mainly lives with.
If you have more than one child, parents can each claim for a different child. Remember that the person who claims gets the National Insurance credits, which can matter for the parent who isn’t working.
Guardian’s Allowance
If you’re bringing up a child whose parents have died (or, in some cases, where one parent has died), you may be able to get Guardian’s Allowance on top of Child Benefit. It’s tax-free and doesn’t count towards the benefit cap. You need to be getting Child Benefit for the child to claim. Check the current rate and rules on GOV.UK.
How Child Benefit is paid
- Payments usually go into your bank account every four weeks, on a Monday or Tuesday
- You can ask to be paid weekly if you’re a single parent or get certain other benefits
- Payments around bank holidays (like Christmas) are often paid early
- You can check payment dates and change your bank details in the HMRC app
Changes you must report
Tell the Child Benefit Office if:
- Your child leaves education or training, or starts work
- Your child goes to live with someone else
- You move abroad, or your child does
- You get married, move in with a partner or separate
- Your income goes above £60,000 (because of the tax charge)
Child Benefit and other benefits
- Child Benefit counts towards the benefit cap, though you’ll still get it in full
- It doesn’t affect Tax-Free Childcare or free childcare hours
- If you get Universal Credit, Child Benefit is not taken off your UC payment
Child Benefit: people also ask
How much is Child Benefit in 2026?
From April 2026, it’s £27.05 a week for your eldest or only child and £17.90 a week for each additional child.
How far back can I claim Child Benefit?
Usually up to 3 months, so claim as soon as you can after your baby is born or a child comes to live with you.
Should I claim Child Benefit if I earn over £80,000?
It’s usually worth filling in the claim form and choosing not to receive payments. That protects your partner’s State Pension if they’re not working and gets your child their National Insurance number.
Can both parents claim Child Benefit?
No. Only one person can get Child Benefit for each child. If you live together, decide who claims. It’s often best for the parent who isn’t working, or earns less, to claim, so they get the National Insurance credits.
When does Child Benefit stop?
When your child turns 16, unless they stay in approved education or training, in which case it can continue until they turn 20.
Summary
- 2026/27 rates: £27.05 a week for the first child, £17.90 for each other child.
- Claim straight away: backdating is usually limited to 3 months.
- Earn over £60,000? Still claim. You can opt out of payments and keep the NI credits.
Next step: check your position with the Child Benefit tax calculator, or see my childcare costs guide.
General information only, not financial advice.
Sources (checked 4 November 2026): Official source for corrected claim · GOV.UK: Child Benefit: what you’ll get · GOV.UK: High Income Child Benefit Charge · GOV.UK: claim Child Benefit