Child Benefit is a regular payment that can be claimed by anyone who is responsible for raising a child and helps with the cost of looking after them. For an eldest or only child, recipients currently receive £21.15 per week and for any additional children, £14.00 per week.
The money is usually paid every four weeks either on a Monday or a Tuesday, although some people can arrange to receive the payment weekly if they are a single parent or if their partner is getting certain benefits, such as Income Support.
The benefit comes to a stop on August 31, on or after your child’s 16th birthday if they leave approved education or training, but, there are several changes in circumstances which can affect your Child Benefit payments.
Parents and guardians must also tell the Child Benefit Office about any changes to their family life - if you don't, you may not get all the money you’re entitled to, or may be overpaid and have to pay it back.
But, there is one important change in circumstances that will result in your payments being stopped completely if you fail to report it.
The GOV.UK website states: "If you do not report a change to your address, and the Child Benefit Office is not able to contact you, your payments will stop."
Changes you must report
Below are all the changes you should report to the Child Benefit Office.
Tell the Child Benefit Office if your child:
starts paid work for 24 hours a week or more
will live away from you for either 8 weeks in a row or more than 56 days in a 16-week period
will go abroad permanently or for more than 12 weeks
will be in hospital or residential care for more than 12 weeks
changes their name
changes their gender
gets married, forms a civil partnership or starts to live with a partner
starts getting certain benefits - Income Support, Jobseeker’s Allowance, Universal Credit, tax credits or Employment and Support Allowance
goes to prison for more than 8 weeks
Tell the Child Benefit Office of any other changes to your family life and always include the date of the change.
These include:
- your bank account, name or address changes
- you change your gender
- a relationship ends
- you start a new relationship, for example you move in with a new partner or remarry
- the child’s parent has died
- you intend to go abroad for more than 8 weeks
- you or your partner intend to move abroad permanently or for more than a year
- you’re a Crown servant leaving the UK for a posting abroad
- you have a baby, or a child comes to live with you
- payments or contributions for a child who does not live with you stop or change
- you’re paid to look after a child by a local council or similar
- your immigration status changes
- you lose the right to reside in the UK
- you get a prison sentence of more than 8 weeks
You can contact the Child Benefit Office online, via webchat and by phone - all the contact details and information you should have before getting in touch can be found on the GOV.UK website here.
To keep up to date with the latest Child Benefits news join our Money Saving Scotland Facebook group here, follow Record Money on Twitter here, or subscribe to our twice weekly newsletter here.
