Tag: Child Benefit

Child Benefit action to save £350 million from claimants abroad

Child Benefit will be stripped from tens of thousands of people who have moved abroad in a major clampdown expected to save £350 million

  • A new specialist team is expected to stop over £350 million in Child Benefit fraud and error over the next five years.
  • The move follows a successful pilot where just 15 investigators stopped around £17 million in wrongful payments in under 12 months.
  • Thousands of people who left the UK but carried on claiming Child Benefit have already been removed from the system.

Child Benefit will be stripped from tens of thousands of people who have moved abroad in a major clampdown expected to save £350 million over the next five years.

A new specialist team will use international travel data to track if claimants have gone overseas, so are no longer entitled to the payments.

The move follows a successful pilot which has already removed 2,600 people from the system who had left the UK but continued to claim Child Benefit.

A team of just 15 investigators successfully prevented around £17 million being incorrectly paid out in under 12 months.

The government is rapidly expanding this highly effective unit as part of the Plan for Change. The new team will have over 200 people from next month, sending a clear warning to those trying to scam the system. 

Cabinet Office Minister Georgia Gould said: “This government is putting a stop to people claiming benefits when they aren’t eligible to do so.

“From September, we’ll have ten times as many investigators saving hundreds of millions of pounds of taxpayer’s money.

“If you’re claiming benefits you’re not entitled to, your time is up.”

Child Benefit is paid to over 6.9 million families, supporting 11.9 million children. It is one of the most widely accessed forms of benefit in the UK and is administered by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC).

If a claimant is outside the UK for more than eight weeks, Child Benefit payments may stop unless there are exceptional circumstances. Claimants must inform HMRC if they are outside the UK for this length of time or longer.

The pilot was carried out by the Public Sector Fraud Authority, the Home Office and HMRC. Under the Digital Economy Act, they matched a random sample of 200,000 Child Benefit records with international travel data. 

Where the data suggested a claimant had left the country, specialist investigators from HMRC stepped in to perform their own checks before deciding whether benefits were being claimed incorrectly. The pilot was concluded in under 12 months and delivered savings of over one million pounds per investigator.

Alongside tougher checks, this renewed drive will raise awareness of the rules, recognising that some errors are genuine mistakes. Every case is reviewed by a human investigator and HMRC will reach out directly to families as part of any investigation to resolve matters swiftly.

This crackdown on fraud and error ‘protects hardworking families who play by the rules and ensures every pound of taxpayer money goes where it should’.

Parents urged to extend their teen’s Child Benefit claim online as deadline approaches

  • As teenagers get their exam results, parents are urged to renew their Child Benefit claim by 31 August for payments to continue in September
  • Parents can quickly and easily extend their Child Benefit claim via the HMRC app or online to guarantee their payments
  • Record numbers of parents of 16 to 19-year-olds staying in education or training have extended their Child Benefit online

With Scottish National and Higher exam results already known, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is urging parents who know their teenager’s plans in September to extend their claim now to continue to receive Child Benefit.

More than 509,000 parents of teenagers, who are staying in full-time education or approved training, have already extended their Child Benefit claim. A record-breaking 67% have done it online to guarantee their payments will continue in September. Parents need to extend their claim by 31 August or payments will automatically stop.

Child Benefit is worth £26.05 per week – or £1,354.60 a year – for the eldest or only child and £17.25 per week – or £897 a year – for each additional child.

HMRC has written to 1.5 million eligible parents reminding them to extend their Child Benefit claim for their 16 to 19-year-old.

The quickest and easiest way to ensure payments continue is to extend via the HMRC app or online through the digital service.

Parents can also scan the QR code in their reminder letter which will take them straight to the digital service.

Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s Chief Customer Officer, said: “Teenagers can be expensive and Child Benefit is an important source of income for your household. As soon as you know what your teen is doing in September, don’t miss out.

“You can extend your claim in minutes through the HMRC app or online to ensure your payments continue.”

Child Benefit can continue to be paid for young people who are studying full time in non-advanced education as well as unpaid approved training courses. Visit GOV.UK for a full list of approved courses.

If either the claimant or their partner has an individual income of between £60,000 and £80,000, the higher earner will be subject to the High Income Child Benefit Charge. For families who fall into this category, the online Child Benefit tax calculator provides an estimate of how much benefit they will receive, and what the charge may be.

As part of the government’s Plan for Change, many families will soon have the option to use a new digital service to pay the charge directly through their PAYE tax code instead of filing a Self Assessment tax return.

The new service will cut red tape for eligible employed parents who are liable to the charge. Those who choose to pay through their Self Assessment can continue to do so.

Families who have previously opted out of Child Benefit payments can opt back in and restart their payments quickly and easily online or via the HMRC app

Child Benefit boost for millions of families

  • Child Benefit payments to increase from next week
  • Parents encouraged to claim and manage Child Benefit via the HMRC app
  • 1.2 million parents have used the digital service to claim their Child Benefit

Families who claim Child Benefit will see an increase in their payment next week, says HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).

From 7 April 2025, parents will receive £26.05 per week – or £1,354.60 a year – for the eldest or only child and £17.25 per week – or £897 a year – for each additional child. Child Benefit is usually paid every 4 weeks and will automatically be paid into a bank account. There is no limit to how many children parents can claim for.

The quickest and easiest way for parents and carers to claim, view and manage Child Benefit payments is by downloading the free and secure HMRC app. A new function in the app means they get a notification once their claim is received and payment in as little as 3 days.

Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s Director General for Customer Services, said: “Extra pounds count and Child Benefit can give your household budget a boost.

“Claiming online or managing your Child Benefit payments via the HMRC app is quick and easy so, if you haven’t already, go to GOV.UK to start your claim today.”

Families have used the app more than 6 million times in the last year to manage their Child Benefit payments, including:

  • making a new claim
  • updating a change in circumstances  
  • amending personal or bank details
    • adding additional children to a claim 
  • viewing or printing Proof of Entitlement to Child Benefit
  • telling us their children are continuing in full time, non-advanced education or approved training

Over 1.2 million parents have claimed their Child Benefit through the HMRC app or via the digital service, since the service went online in May 2023. More than 87% of claims are now digital.

Families are encouraged to claim Child Benefit as soon as they can after their baby is born as it can only be backdated up to 3 months.

To make a claim for Child Benefit, parents will need to create an online HMRC account and will need:

  • child’s birth or adoption certificate
  • bank details
  • National Insurance number for themselves and their partner, if they have one
  • child’s original birth or adoption certificate and passport or travel document, for children born outside the UK.

HMRC has released a new youtube video explaining how new parents can make a claim.

If either the claimant or their partner has an individual income of between £60,000 and £80,000, the higher earner will be subject to the High Income Child Benefit Charge. For families who fall into this category, the online Child Benefit tax calculator provides an estimate of how much benefit they will receive, and what the charge may be.

In the Spring Statement, Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves announced a new service as part of the government’s Plan for Change, that will cut red tape for eligible employed parents who are liable to the High Income Child Benefit Charge.

From the summer, families will have the option to report their Child Benefit payments and pay the charge directly through their PAYE tax code instead of filing a Self Assessment tax return.

The new digital service will be optional and those who choose to pay the charge through their Self Assessment can continue to do so.

Families who have previously opted out of Child Benefit payments can opt back in and restart their payments quickly and easily online or via the HMRC app.

A person living in a household subject to the High Income Child Benefit Charge will still receive National Insurance credits if they claim Child Benefit but choose to opt out of receiving payments.

Extend Child Benefit for your teen by 31 August

Child Benefit can be claimed for children after they turn 16 if they are staying on in approved education or training

Parents have less than 2 weeks to tell HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) their 16-19 year-old is continuing education or training or their Child Benefit payments will stop.

Hundreds of thousands of teenagers will decide on their future this week as they receive their GCSE results on Thursday (22 August 2024).

For parents of 16-19 year-olds who haven’t yet extended their claim, Child Benefit payments will stop after 31 August. If their child is going to continue in approved education or training, parents can continue receiving Child Benefit and HMRC is urging them to extend their claim now.

To make sure they do not miss out, parents can quickly and easily extend their Child Benefit claim online on GOV.UK or via the HMRC app. More than 270,000 parents have extended their claim digitally so far, with the changes applied to their record without the need to wait on the phone.

Parents should keep their claim details up to date, even if they’ve opted not to receive Child Benefit payments due to the High Income Child Benefit Charge. Parents who want to opt back into receiving Child Benefit payments, can do this quickly and easily online on GOV.UK or in the HMRC app. 

Child Benefit is worth up to £1,331 a year for the first or only child, and up to £881 a year for every additional child.

Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s Director General for Customer Services, said: “Child Benefit is an important financial support for many households and we don’t want to see any eligible family miss out.

“You can extend your claim quickly and easily online or via the HMRC app, just search ‘Child Benefit when your child turns 16’ on GOV.UK.”

Victoria Benson, CEO of Gingerbread, the charity for single parent families, said: “Child Benefit is valuable to families and particularly single parent families, who are forced to make ends meet on a single income.

“It’s really important, with the 31 August deadline fast approaching, that parents whose children are going into further education and training extend their claim as soon as possible to avoid missing out on this crucial financial help.”

Child Benefit can continue to be paid for children who are studying full time in non-advanced education, which includes:

  • A levels or Scottish Highers
  • International Baccalaureate
  • Home education – if it started before their child turned 16, or after 16 if they have a statement of special educational needs and it was assessed by the local authority
  • T levels
  • NVQs, up to level 3

Child Benefit will also continue for children studying on one of these unpaid approved training courses:

  • in Wales: Foundation Apprenticeships, Traineeships or the Jobs Growth Wales+ scheme
  • in Northern Ireland: PEACEPLUS Youth Programme 3.2, Training for Success or Skills for Life and Work
  • in Scotland: the No One Left Behind programme.

If a child changes their mind about further education or training, parents can simply inform HMRC online or via the HMRC app and payments will be adjusted accordingly.

Parents can check the status of their claims at any time by viewing their proof of entitlement in the app or online. 

Parents will need a Government Gateway user ID and password to use HMRC’s online services. If they do not have one already, they can register on GOV.UK and will just need their National Insurance number or postcode, and 2 forms of ID.

All grown up: Child Benefit goes digital

New parents can now claim Child Benefit online for the first time since it was launched 47 years ago, helping millions of families with the cost of raising their children, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has announced.

Since 1977, families claiming Child Benefit had to fill out a paper form, post it, and wait as long as 16 weeks for their first payment. Now, the quick and easy claims process on GOV.UK takes about 10 minutes and payments could be made in as little as 3 days.

Child Benefit is worth £24 a week – or £1,248 a year – for the oldest, or only child. The rate for each additional child is £15.90 a week – or almost £827 a year. Claims can be backdated for up to 12 weeks and families are encouraged to apply as soon as possible so they don’t miss out.

Nigel Huddleston, Financial Secretary to the Treasury, said: “Family time is precious, especially when you have a newborn baby, so it’s great news that HMRC is enabling parents to save time on claiming their child benefit online so they can focus on what truly matters.”

Suzanne Newton, HMRC’s Interim Director General for Transformation, said: “We know how much parents and guardians rely on Child Benefit to help with essential costs. We’ve made it far easier and quicker for families to claim this crucial help by making it digital.

“Parents and guardians can apply online when it suits them and be paid within days, not weeks. Go to GOV.UK and search ‘Claim Child Benefit online’ and follow the simple steps to apply.”

Natalie Smith, blogger, Frugal Mum, said: “No more paper forms for new parents – hurray! You can complete your application when it suits you online at GOV.UK and your Child Benefit can be backdated by up to 3 months – so don’t put it off!”

Parents or guardians can get Child Benefit if they are responsible for bringing up a child who is under 16, or under 20 if they stay in approved education or training. There is no limit on the number of children parents can claim for.

Claiming Child Benefit means that the parent will receive National Insurance credits which count towards their State Pension. It also means their child will automatically receive a National Insurance number when they turn 16 years old, which they will need for key milestones including getting their first job, taking a driving test and applying for university finance.

Tips for applying online

  • parents can claim Child Benefit from the day after a child’s birth has been registered; make sure to have the birth certificate to hand when claiming.
  • create a Government Gateway account when making a claim for Child Benefit, with a passport and other proofs of ID. This can also be done in advance of a child’s birth to save time later on. A full list of the documents needed for proof of identity can be found on GOV.UK.
  • when creating a new account, HMRC will send you an activation code via email. Once received, you can then apply for Child Benefit online.

When ready to make the claim, applicants should have the following documents to hand:

  • the child’s birth certificate
  • your bank details
  • your National Insurance number
  • your partner’s National insurance number (if you have a partner)

Families with adopted children, or whose child’s birth was registered outside the UK, can claim for Child Benefit online but will need to send additional information through the post to support their application.

Parents with children over 3 months old who have yet to claim are urged to do so as soon as possible as they can receive up to 3 months’ backdated Child Benefit. Parents with children over 6 months’ old may be required to download and print their completed claim form and send it through the post.

The government is offering help for households. Check GOV.UK to find out more about cost of living support, including help with childcare costs.  

Customers need to be aware of the risk of falling victim to scams and should never share their HMRC login details with anyone. HMRC scams advice is available on GOV.UK.  

HMRC: Claiming Child Benefit for teenagers studying or training after completing their Nationals

Parents have until 31 August to tell HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) that their 16-year-old is continuing their education or training, if they wish to continue receiving Child Benefit.

Many teenagers who recently received their Nationals exam results will be considering their future and whether to stay on in education. Child Benefit payments stop on 31 August after a child turns 16, but parents can extend their claim if their child is continuing in approved education or training.

It is easy for parents to update their Child Benefit record. They can use the online service on GOV.UK or the HMRC app to tell HMRC about their child’s plans.

HMRC recently wrote to parents about extending their Child Benefit claim. The letter included a QR code which, when scanned, directs them to GOV.UK to update their claim online. Any changes will be applied to their Child Benefit claim immediately.

Child Benefit will continue to be paid for children who are studying full time which can include:

  • Highers
  • International Baccalaureate
  • home education – if it started before their child turned 16 or after 16 if they have special needs

Child Benefit will also continue for children who are studying on an unpaid approved training course through the ‘No One Left Behind programme’.

Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s Director General for Customer Services, said: “Child Benefit can provide financial support to families, so make sure you don’t miss out if your teenager is still eligible.

“You can quickly and easily extend your claim online or via the HMRC app, just search ‘Child Benefit when your child turns 16’ on GOV.UK.”

Parents will need a Government Gateway user ID and password to use HMRC’s online services. They will need their National Insurance number or postcode and 2 forms of ID to register on GOV.UK.

The UK Government is offering help for households. Check GOV.UK to find out about cost of living support, including help with childcare costs. 

HMRC: One week left to update post-16 Child Benefit claims

While young people are considering their future beyond their GCSE or Scottish National Certificate results, HMRC is asking parents and carers to make sure they update their Child Benefit records by 31August, or risk seeing their payments end.

HMRC has written to 1.3 million parents and carers of children, who are in the last year of school or education, to remind them to update their Child Benefit records. More than 600,000 families have already notified HMRC, but many have yet to do so.

Parents and carers can update their Child Benefit records using their Personal Tax Account on GOV.UK, by returning a completed copy of the form they were sent earlier in the year, or by telephone.

Angela MacDonald, HMRC’s Deputy Chief Executive and Second Permanent Secretary, said: “Child Benefit provides vital financial support for families and we want to make sure no-one misses out because they haven’t updated their details on time.

“The quickest way to notify HMRC is via your Personal Tax Account online, or search ‘child benefit when your child turns 16’ on GOV.UK for more information or further options for contacting us.”

Child Benefit is paid to eligible parents or carers who are responsible for a child under 16, or under 20 if they are in full-time non-advanced education or approved training.

This includes  A-levels/ Scottish Highers, NVQs up to Level 3, or certain traineeships – a list of approved courses and training schemes is available on GOV.UK.

HMRC customers in Scotland encouraged to check out financial support available to them

Customers in Scotland are being encouraged to check online for the range of financial support available from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to help with living costs.

HMRC has listed the support available in one place to ensure people are not missing out and can easily find out online if they are eligible and how to claim.

The new GOV.UK page pinpoints people to a one-stop shop of all the benefits, credits and allowances available to individuals and families, making it easier than ever for people to claim what they are entitled to.

This includes:

Child Benefit

Child Benefit can be claimed if someone is responsible for bringing up a child who is:

  • under 16
  • under 20 if they stay in approved education or training

Only one person can get Child Benefit for a child. It’s paid every 4 weeks and there’s no limit to how many children you can claim for.

Tax-Free Childcare

Working parents can get assistance of up to £500 every 3 months (up to £2,000 a year) for each of their children to help with the costs of childcare until the September after their 11th birthday. If a child is disabled, this goes up to £1,000 every 3 months until the September after their 16th birthday (up to £4,000 a year).

Marriage Allowance

Marriage Allowance allows individuals to transfer 10% (£1,260) of their personal tax allowance to a husband, wife or civil partner if they earn less than the personal tax allowance, which is usually £12,570.

Work-related expenses and uniform allowances

Tax relief can be claimed on money spent on things like work uniform and clothing, tools, subscriptions or business travel.

The GOV.UK page also includes guidance for those on a low income wanting to make the most of their savings and help for those struggling to pay their tax bill.

Myrtle Lloyd, Director General Customer Services Group, HMRC: “We understand these are very difficult times for many so it’s vitally important we continue to highlight the range of support available.

“We’d encourage those who think they may be eligible for support to take a look and claim what they’re entitled to – it could make an important difference to household budgets at a time when it’s needed the most.”

Additional online tools and guidance are available to help customers check if they are eligible for each service – as well as extra support to guide them through the application process.

Don’t miss out: claim Child Benefit by phone or post, HMRC tells new parents

Parents of new-borns will still be able to claim Child Benefit despite the outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19), HMRC announced today.

Even though General Register Offices remain closed for now, parents can still claim Child Benefit without having to register their child’s birth first to ensure that they do not miss out.

First time parents will need to fill in Child Benefit Claim form CH2 found online and send it to the Child Benefit Office. If they haven’t registered the birth because of COVID-19, they should add a note with their claim to let us know.

If they already claim Child Benefit, they can complete the form or add their new-born’s details over the phone on 0300 200 3100. They will need their National Insurance number or Child Benefit number.

Child Benefit claims can be backdated by up to 3 months.

This announcement is timely as Child Benefit payments increased from 6 April to a weekly rate of £21.05 for the first child and £13.95 for each additional child. Child Benefit is paid into a parent’s bank account, usually every 4 weeks.

Only one person can claim Child Benefit for a child. For couples with one partner not working or paying National Insurance contributions (NICs), making the claim in their name will help protect their State Pension.

Financial Secretary to the Treasury, Jesse Norman, said: “We need people to stay at home in order to protect the NHS and save lives. Today’s change means new parents won’t miss out financially and can keep their families safe.

The government will do whatever it takes to support people and the NHS during this outbreak, and HMRC is working around the clock to help families and businesses across the UK.

Angela MacDonald, Director General for Customer Services at HMRC, said: “It’s really important that new parents remember to register for Child Benefit, even during these unprecedented times.

“The increase in Child Benefit is a boost for family budgets but there’s more to claiming than the payments. We’re encouraging people to claim so they don’t miss out on National Insurance credits that help protect their State Pension. It also helps children to get their National Insurance number automatically at 16.”

HMRC is reminding High Income Child Benefit Charge customers of the importance of claiming Child Benefit, even if they choose to opt out of receiving monetary benefits.

The tax charge applies to anyone with an income over £50,000 who claims Child Benefit or whose partner claims it. Even if you do have to pay the tax charge, you could still be better off by claiming Child Benefit – the tax is 1% of Child Benefit for each £100 of income over £50,000.

You can use the Child Benefit tax calculator to work out how much you may have to pay, or you can opt out of receiving Child Benefit payments altogether when you complete the form, so you won’t have to pay the charge but will still protect your State Pension.

If you need help or support with this, call Granton Information Centre on 0131 551 2459 or 0131 552 0458, email info@gic.org.uk