CHILD BENEFIT
Child benefit is paid to help people with the costs of bringing up a child. Child Benefit is receivable by a person responsible for each child until they reach 16, or 19 years of their age, if they stay in education or training. If the person (or their spouse or partner) has ‘adjusted net income’ above £50,000 the person with the highest income has to pay some of the Child Benefit as a tax charge. Where ‘adjusted net income’ is more than £60,000 a year, the tax charge equals the Child Benefit received.
- Only one household can get Child benefit for each child, for that child including those who are fostering or adopting.
- If your child starts paid work for 24 hours or more a week and is no longer in approved education or training, your Child Benefit will stop.
- The same applies if your child starts an apprenticeship or starts receiving certain benefits in their own right.
- Payments are not tax free as long as neither parent nor care taker earns more than £50,000 a year.
- you’ll need to pay back 1% of your family’s Child Benefit for every £100 or your income over £50,000
- f either of you earn over £60,000 a year, you’ll have to repay all of your Child Benefit in extra Income Tax
- Claiming Child Benefit can give a big boost to your family budget.
- If you’ve just had a baby, make sure you claim before it’s three months old
- you are 16 or over, and
- You are responsible for at least one child.
- The child must be:
- under 16, or
- Aged between 16 and 20 and in relevant education or approved training.
- Money
- Clothes
- Birthday and Christmas presents
- Food
- Pocket money
- £20.70 per week for your first child
- £13.70 a week for any further children.