Overview
- Claims can be backdated for up to three months from the date of application, and payments before that window cannot be recovered.
- Current rates are about £26.05 per week for the eldest or only child and £17.25 for each additional child, worth roughly £897 a year per extra child.
- Child Benefit is available for those raising a child under 16, or under 20 if in approved education or training, with no limit on the number of children claimed.
- Only one parent or guardian can receive Child Benefit for any given child.
- Child Benefit counts toward the benefit cap and may be reduced by the High Income Child Benefit Charge, which can leave some higher earners with no net gain.