What is child benefit?
Child benefit is a regular payment made by the UK government to anyone responsible for raising a child. It's administered by HMRC and paid directly into your bank account, usually every four weeks. Unlike many other benefits, it is not means-tested — you can claim it regardless of your income, savings, or employment status.
The only complication is the High Income Child Benefit Charge (HICBC), which claws back some or all of the payment if either you or your partner earns over £60,000. We cover this in full below — but even then, there are very good reasons to claim.
Child benefit is paid to anyone responsible for a child under 16 (or under 20 in approved education/training). There is no income limit to claim — but high earners may have to repay some of it. You can backdate a claim by up to 3 months.
How much is child benefit in 2025/26?
The government increased child benefit rates in April 2024 and they remain at the following levels for 2025/26:
| Child | Weekly rate | Annual total |
|---|---|---|
| Eldest or only child | £26.05 per week | £1,354.60 |
| Each additional child | £17.25 per week | £897.00 |
| Two children (total) | £43.30 per week | £2,251.60 |
Payments are usually made every four weeks, directly into a bank account of your choice. You can also opt for weekly payments if that suits you better.
Who can claim child benefit?
You can claim child benefit if you are responsible for a child who is:
- Under 16 years old, or
- Under 20 and in approved full-time education (A-levels, T-levels, Scottish Highers) or approved unpaid training
You don't need to be the biological parent. Foster carers, grandparents, and other guardians can all claim if they are the person primarily responsible for the child. Only one person can claim per child — you can't both claim for the same child.
There is no minimum residency requirement to start a claim, but you must normally live in the UK.
How to apply for child benefit
You can apply in two ways — online via your HMRC personal tax account, or by completing the paper form CH2.
You can start the application process online before your child's birth certificate arrives. HMRC will put your claim on hold and process it as soon as the certificate is provided.
The high income child benefit charge — what you need to know
If either you or your partner has an individual income above £60,000, you'll be subject to the High Income Child Benefit Charge (HICBC). This is a tax charge that gradually claws back the benefit through your self-assessment tax return.
| Income (highest earner) | What happens |
|---|---|
| Below £60,000 | Keep the full benefit — no charge applies |
| £60,000 – £80,000 | Repay 1% of benefit for every £200 earned over £60,000 |
| Above £80,000 | Full benefit must be repaid via self-assessment |
Should you still claim if you earn over £80,000? Yes — for one important reason. Claiming child benefit protects your National Insurance record, even if you elect not to receive the payments. This can affect your entitlement to the State Pension later in life. You can opt out of receiving the payments while keeping the NI credit.
Making pension contributions reduces your "adjusted net income" for HICBC purposes. If you're just above the £60,000 threshold, increasing your pension contributions may bring you below it and allow you to keep the full benefit.
What most parents do with child benefit — and what they should do instead
Most families absorb child benefit into their monthly budget and spend it on day-to-day costs — nappies, childcare, food. That's completely understandable. But it also means the money disappears with almost nothing to show for it.
Here's what happens if, instead of spending the full £26.05 a week, you invest just half of it — £50 a month — from the day your child is born:
That's roughly half of child benefit — invested every month for 21 years — turning into enough to put a deposit on a first home, or giving your child a financial head start that most people their age simply won't have.
The full £26.05/week (around £113/month) invested from birth grows to over £107,000 by age 21 at the same rate.
The reason the numbers are so dramatic is compounding. The returns you earn in year one generate returns in year two, and so on — and over 21 years, this effect becomes enormous. The key is starting early. Waiting even 5 years to begin investing makes a significant difference to the final figure.
Child benefit and Junior ISAs — how they work together
A Junior Stocks & Shares ISA (JISA) is one of the best places to invest child benefit payments. Any growth inside a JISA is completely tax-free — no income tax, no capital gains tax, ever. And it's in your child's name, so it can't be touched until they turn 18.
The annual JISA allowance for 2025/26 is £9,000 per child. Child benefit payments alone won't get close to that limit — which means there's also room for grandparents, godparents, or other family members to contribute alongside you.
This is exactly the model Amplifi is built around — a Junior Stocks & Shares ISA that the whole family can contribute to, from as little as £10.