Child Benefit payments may arrive on a different day next month. HMRC has confirmed that families with one child will now receive the new amount of £26.05 per week, up from £25.60 each week, from April 2025.
Families will also receive £17.25 per week (up from £16.95) for each additional child they have after that. Unlike some other benefits. There is no limit to how many children families can claim for.
But, April's payments may come on a different day, due to the Easter bank holidays.
Child Benefit is usually paid on a Monday or Tuesday, but there is a bank holiday on Monday, April 21 to mark Easter Monday.
If you’re due a Child Benefit payment on April 21, you’ll likely receive it on Thursday, April 17 instead.
This is because Friday, April 18, is also a bank holiday, as this is Good Friday. Easter Sunday will fall on April 20.
It's estimated that around 7 million families claim Child Benefit in the UK, for around 13 million children, although figures change slightly each year, so the exact figures may change for 2025.
Parents or guardians get Child Benefit if they’re 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.
There’s no limit to how many children you can claim for, as it is not covered by the two-child cap.
By claiming Child Benefit, you can also get some other helpful things:
- National Insurance credits which count towards your State Pension.
- a National Insurance number for your child without them having to apply for one – they’ll usually get the number shortly before they turn 16 years old
If you choose not to get Child Benefit payments, you should still make a claim to get the other advantages.
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Child Benefit and protecting your State Pension
You’ll get National Insurance Credits automatically if you claim Child Benefit and your child is under 12.
These credits count towards your State Pension, so you do not have gaps in your National Insurance record if either:
- you’re not working
- you do not earn enough to pay National Insurance contributions
Like all benefits, if your circumstances change, you must report changes as soon as possible.
High Income Child Benefit Charge
This changed last year. You may have to pay the High Income Child Benefit Charge if you or your partner have an individual income that’s over the threshold and either:
- you or your partner get Child Benefit
- someone else gets Child Benefit for a child living with you and they contribute at least an equal amount towards the child’s upkeep
It does not matter if the child living with you is not your own child.
An individual income is over the threshold if it’s:
- over £60,000 for the tax year 2024 to 2025
- over £50,000 for tax years up to and including the tax year 2023 to 2024
To work out if your income is over the threshold, you’ll need to work out your ‘adjusted net income’. Your total taxable income includes interest from savings and dividends.
Use the Child Benefit tax calculator to get an estimate of your adjusted net income.
Who has to pay the High Income Child Benefit Charge?
If your adjusted net income is over the threshold and so is your partner’s, then whoever has the higher income is responsible for paying the tax charge.
‘Partner’ means someone you’re not permanently separated from who you’re married to, in a civil partnership with or living with as if you were.
If you choose to opt out of getting Child Benefit payments, you should still fill in the Child Benefit claim form. You need to state on the form that you do not want to get payments.
