HMRC urges parents to act before Christmas to receive payment worth £1,331 a year
by Ruby Flanagan, Barbara Hodgson · ChronicleLiveNew parents are being urged by the HMRC make a claim for Child Benefit now as they may receive it just in time for Christmas.
The tax office is encouraging people to take advantage of its online service or app and on Wednesday announced that more than one million families have claimed Child Benefit this way since the service launched earlier this year. It is keen for other new parents to act now as, if their claim is successful, they could receive their first payment by Christmas.
As The Mirror reports, payments could be made within three working days. Child benefit is paid at two weekly rates - £25.60 for the eldest or only child and £16.95 for any additional children.
Overall, it is worth up to £1,331 a year for the first child and £881 a year for others. Parents can register for Child Benefit 48 hours after the child's birth and can claim it right up until they are 16 years old - or 20 if still in full-time education.
Child Benefit also can be claimed if someone has adopted a child or is solely responsible for one. Claims can be back-dated by up to 12 weeks, so new parents who have not yet made a claim could potentially receive a hefty pre-Christmas payment.
Once claimed, the benefit is paid every four weeks. Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s director general for customer services, said: "Having a baby is a busy and expensive time but claiming Child Benefit online or via the app means you’ll get cash in your bank account as soon as possible."
Urging parents to download the HMRC app, she added: "Claim now and you could get your first payment in time for your baby’s first Christmas.” To make a claim this way, parents will first need to create an online account for HMRC services.
To then make the claim, families will need the following:
- The child’s birth or adoption certificate
- Bank details
- National Insurance number for themselves and their partner, if they have one
- For those born outside the UK - the child's original birth or adoption certificate and passport or travel document
The launch of the online services has seen 87% of new claims made each month through these means. The HMRC app also allows claimants to track payments and update address or bank details if necessary.
Claimants should note that if either parent has an individual income between £60,000 and £80,000, the higher earner will be subject to the High Income Child Benefit Charge (HICBC). The HMRC has an online Child Benefit tax calculator which can provide an estimate of how Child Benefit will be received and the tax charge.
Those needing to pay the charge must do so through self-assessment. A higher earner with an individual income of more than £50,000 who claimed Child Benefit before April 6, 2024 may have to pay the tax charge for 2023-2024, and it they did not register for self-assessment to do this before the deadline of October 5 they may receive a penalty and then have to pay what it owed by January 31, 2025.
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