Child Benefit: Who Can Claim and How

This guide is for internationals who have recently moved to the United Kingdom and are bringing up a child here. After reading it, you will know who can get Child Benefit, what a claim gives you, how claiming works and where the High Income Child Benefit Charge fits in.

• Who can claim Child Benefit
• Rules for people who have just moved
• What a claim gives you
• Claiming and keeping your claim up to date
• The High Income Child Benefit Charge
• FAQ

Who can claim Child Benefit

The GOV.UK eligibility page says you normally qualify if you are responsible for a child under 16 and you live in the UK. Payments can continue until the child turns 20 if they stay in approved education or training. There is no limit on how many children you can claim for.

Being responsible for a child usually means one of two things. Either the child lives with you, or you pay at least the same amount as Child Benefit (or the equivalent in kind) towards looking after them, for example on food, clothes or pocket money. Different rules apply if the child goes into hospital or care, or lives with someone else.

Only one person can get Child Benefit for a child. If two adults are responsible for the same child, they agree between themselves who claims. If they cannot agree, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) decides.

Foster carers qualify as long as the local council pays nothing towards the child’s accommodation or maintenance. Adoptive parents can claim as soon as the child comes to live with them, without waiting for the adoption to be completed. Someone with an informal arrangement to look after a friend’s or relative’s child may also qualify. Anyone responsible for a child who has lost one or both parents may also be entitled to Guardian’s Allowance.

Rules for people who have just moved

For people moving to the UK, GOV.UK links eligibility to having the right to reside. The eligibility page also explains how this works for people with status under the EU Settlement Scheme.

With settled status, you can claim Child Benefit. With pre-settled status, you can claim if any of the following applies:

• You are working and earn, or expect to earn, above the primary threshold for employees paying National Insurance for 3 continuous months. The page does not give the threshold figure.
• You are looking for work. You can continue to claim as a jobseeker for 91 days, unless you get a job offer.
• You have sufficient resources to support yourself and your family financially. You may not be eligible on this basis if you claim Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, Pension Credit or Universal Credit.
• You are studying and have sufficient resources to support yourself financially.
• You are a family member of an EEA or Swiss national who has a right to reside: their spouse or civil partner, their child or grandchild who is dependent on them or under 21, or their parent or grandparent who is dependent on them.

The pages used for this guide do not cover other visa types. For a specific question about how immigration status affects a claim, a regulated adviser registered with the OISC or a solicitor regulated by the SRA can help. The Child Benefit Office answers general eligibility questions.

What a claim gives you

The GOV.UK Child Benefit guide lists three things a claim brings. The first is an allowance for each child, usually paid every 4 weeks. The official pages used for this guide do not state the rates, so check the current amounts on GOV.UK.

The second is National Insurance credits, which count towards your State Pension. You get them automatically if you claim Child Benefit and your child is under 12. They prevent gaps in your National Insurance record if you are not working or do not earn enough to pay contributions. If you do not need the credits, your husband, wife or partner can apply to have them transferred, or another family member who cares for your child can apply for Specified Adult Childcare credits.

The third is a National Insurance number for your child, issued without them having to apply. They usually receive it shortly before they turn 16.

For this reason, GOV.UK says people who choose not to receive Child Benefit payments should still make a claim.

Claiming and keeping your claim up to date

The official pages used for this guide do not describe the claim form, the documents required or how far back a claim can be paid. The Child Benefit Office can confirm these details, and the GOV.UK guide is also available in Welsh.

Several rules apply once you are claiming. You must report any change of circumstances to the Child Benefit Office. When a child turns 16, payments normally continue only if they stay in approved education or training. If a 16 or 17 year old leaves education or training and registers with a government-sponsored careers service or the armed services, you can apply for Child Benefit to continue for 20 weeks.

Payments stop if your child starts paid work of 24 hours or more a week and is no longer in approved education or training, starts an apprenticeship in England, or starts getting certain benefits in their own right, such as Employment and Support Allowance or Universal Credit.

Moving abroad does not always end a claim. You may still be able to get Child Benefit if you go to live in certain countries or if you are a Crown servant.

The High Income Child Benefit Charge

The High Income Child Benefit Charge is a tax charge connected to higher incomes in households that receive Child Benefit. The two official pages this guide is based on do not cover the charge, its income threshold or how it is calculated, so no figures are quoted here. HMRC sets the rules and publishes them on GOV.UK.

One point from the official pages is relevant here: you can choose not to receive Child Benefit payments and still make a claim. A claim made this way still brings the National Insurance credits and the automatic National Insurance number for your child.

FAQ

Can I claim Child Benefit as soon as I arrive in the UK?

You normally qualify if you are responsible for a child under 16 and live in the UK, and people who move here need the right to reside. The pages used for this guide do not set a minimum period of living in the UK. For questions about a specific immigration status, an OISC-registered adviser or an SRA-regulated solicitor can help.

Can both parents claim for the same child?

No. Only one person can get Child Benefit for a child. Parents who share responsibility agree between themselves who claims, and if they cannot agree, HMRC decides.

How often is Child Benefit paid?

It is usually paid every 4 weeks, as an allowance for each child. The official pages used for this guide do not state the current rates, which are published on GOV.UK.

Why claim if I do not want the payments?

A claim also brings National Insurance credits towards your State Pension while your child is under 12, and a National Insurance number for your child shortly before they turn 16. GOV.UK says people who choose not to get the payments should still claim to receive these advantages.

Official sources: gov.uk · gov.uk

Last verified: 8 October 2026 against the official pages linked above. Rules and fees change; the official page always wins.

This is general information, not legal or immigration advice. Immigration advice in the UK may only be given by advisers regulated by the OISC or by solicitors regulated by the SRA.