Making Child Benefit claims quicker and easier for new parents

If you have employees who are about to become parents, they may be interested to know there is a new, easier way to claim Child Benefit online or by using the HMRC app.

Parents can claim as much as £1,248 a year for one child, which could add up to almost £20,000 by the time they are 16. They could also receive nearly £827 a year for any other children they have. Sharing this information with your employees will help them to make the most of the financial support on offer to help with the costs of raising their children.

There is more to Child Benefit than just payments, by claiming they will also:

• Receive National Insurance credits which count towards their State Pension

• Make sure their child automatically gets a National Insurance number when they are 16 years old

If your employee or their partner earns over £50,000 a year, they will have to pay the High Income Child Benefit Charge on some or all of the money they receive, but it’s still worth claiming, and they can even opt out of receiving payments.

The new, improved online service means many parents can now claim Child Benefit or add an additional child at a time that suits them. A straightforward online submission claim, such as for a child under six months old, can be processed much quicker and first payments could reach customers’ bank accounts in as little as three working days. You can encourage your staff to download the HMRC App or visit GOV.UK to make a child benefit claim and get the support they are entitled to.