MILLIONS of families receive child benefit every month to help cover the cost of living.
The benefit is usually paid every four weeks on a Monday or Tuesday, but if there’s a Bank Holiday you might receive it earlier.
There are two child benefit rates – £21.80 a week for your eldest or only child and £14.45 a week per child for any additional children.
But when should you expect payments over the festive period?
Will I get paid early over the Bank Holiday?
Child benefit payments are usually made into your bank or building society account.
You can’t get the money paid into a Post Office card account or a Nationwide cashbuilder account in someone else’s name.
You can only get the money paid into one account.
If you are due to get your child benefit payment on Boxing Day or December 27 this year, you should receive it on December 23 instead.
If you’re due to get it on January 2, 2023, you’ll be paid on December 30 this year.
How does child benefit work?
Millions claim child benefit from the government every year.
You get it if you’re bringing up a child who is under 16 or under 20 and in “approved” education or training.
On top of the allowance, you automatically get National Insurance credits if your child is under 12 which count towards your state pension.
Only one person in a family can claim child benefit but there’s no limit on how many children you can claim for.
One key thing to note is that if yours or your partner’s individual income is over £50,000 you’ll be deducted money based on the high income child benefit charge.
If your income is between £50,000 and £60,000 the charge is 1% of your child benefit for every £100 between those two figures.
If your income goes over £60,000 all your child benefit is taken away.
This means theoretically couples can have a combined income of up to £100,000 without having their child benefit rate reduced.
How can I claim child benefit?
You can claim child benefit after you’ve registered the birth of a child or if they come to live with you.
The claim process can take around 16 weeks for a new child, but the benefit can be backdated for up to three months.
Only one person in a household can claim, so it’s worth figuring out who might need the National Insurance credits more.
You just have to fill in a CH2 form, found on the government’s website, and send it to the Child Benefit Office.
The address is found on the form.
Depending on your circumstances, you can add a child to an existing claim over the phone on 0300 200 3100.
This is if your child is under six months old and lives with you, the child was born in the UK and had its birth registered more than 48 hours ago, and you’re a UK or Irish national.
Otherwise, you’ll have to make a new claim via post. You just have to fill in the CH2 form and send it to the Child Benefit Office.
