You can get child benefit if you are responsible for a dependent child or a qualifying young person and you pass the residence and presence tests. There is no lower age limit for the child. It is tax free and does not depend on your income or savings or whether you stay at home with the child. You do not have to be the parent.
Child benefit is administered by the HM Revenue and Customs.
A 'dependent child' is a child under the age of 16. A qualifying young person is under the age of 20 and in full-time, non-advanced education - i.e. more than 12 hours a week at school or college, or approved, unwaged training. The training must not be provided under a contract of employment. You cannot count homework, private study, unsupervised study or meal breaks towards the 12 hours and the education can only be up to and including A-level, NVQ level 3 or equivalent. If the young person themselves become entitled to benefit, for example, income support (IS) or employment support allowance (ESA), incapacity benefit or any tax credit, you cannot get child benefit for them.
The value of your child benefit will be reduced through a tapered income tax charge if you or your partner are individually earning more than £50,000 a year. Your child benefit will not be withdrawn - it will continue to be paid in full. Instead the value of it will be clawed-back through taxation, starting at £50,000 and increasing at rate of 1% of the child benefit in payment per £100 of the annual income of you or your partner. If you are earning more than By £60,000 a year, the value of your child benefit in payment will be nil because of the tax claw back.
WHEN THE YOUNG PERSON LEAVES SCHOOL
If the young person has left school or college or approved unwaged training, you will continue to be entitled to child benefit for them until the first Sunday after the 'terminal date'.
Once the young person reaches the terminal date, you may continue to be entitled to child benefit during what is called the 'Child Benefit Extension Period' (CBEP).
The CBEP starts from the terminal date for your child. It lasts for 20 weeks.
To be entitled to child benefit during the CBEP you:
- must write and ask for benefit to continue within 3 months of the education/training finishing; and
- must have been entitled to child benefit before the CBEP began
The young person must be:
- Under 18 and not in education or training, and
- Registered at a Careers Service or Connexions Service, Education + Library Board or the Ministry of Defence for Work, education or training.
- Not working for 24 hours or more a week.
CHILD BENEFIT PER WEEK 2019/20
Only/eldest child or qualifying young person £20.70
Each other child or qualifying young person £13.70
DOES ANYTHING AFFECT WHAT YOU GET?
Child benefit is counted in full as income when your resources are calculated for entitlement to housing benefit and council tax benefit, but is ignored when calculating entitlement to IS, income-based JSA, income related ESA, working tax credit and child tax credit.
HOW DO YOU CLAIM?
Just after your baby is born you should receive a claim form CH2. If you don't receive one, you can get one by ringing the Child Benefit Helpline on 0300 200 3100 or textphone 0300 200 3103. You can also complete the form online here.
You should send you completed application to:
Child Benefit Office
Washington
Newcastle Upon Tyne
NE88 1ZD
DIAL Disclaimer
Whilst all the information given in this document was correct at the time of going to press, DIAL Doncaster cannot be held responsible for any subsequent changes.
