New parents urged to claim Child Benefit for their baby now

18 May 2026

 

• 6.8 million families are claiming Child Benefit.
• More than 30% of new parents are missing out on payments by not claiming in their baby’s
  first year.
• Parents urged to claim via the HMRC app to ensure they get their payment as quickly as
  possible.

One in three new parents are missing out on Child Benefit payments in their baby’s first year, new figures reveal.

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is urging parents who welcomed a baby this Spring to claim now via the HMRC app or online at GOV.UK.

While more than 6.8 million parents received Child Benefit in the year to August 2025, only 68.8% of them claimed the crucial government support before their baby’s first birthday.

More than 140,000 babies were born between April and June last year and while many parents are enjoying new beginnings this Spring, the latest statistics show thousands of families could be missing out on much-needed cash by delaying their claim.

Child Benefit is worth £27.05 per week – or £1,406.60 a year – for the eldest or only child and £17.90 per week – or £930.80 a year – for each additional child, with no limit as to how many children parents can claim for.

Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s Chief Customer Officer, said:

“Spring is a wonderful time to welcome a baby and claiming Child Benefit as soon as possible means your family can benefit from much needed financial support. It is quick and easy to claim Child Benefit via the HMRC app at a time that suits you.”

Child Benefit can be claimed 48 hours after the baby’s birth is registered but can only be backdated for up to 3 months from the date HMRC receives the claim, meaning thousands of families are not getting what they’re entitled to receive.

Parents can access their Child Benefit account quickly and easily via the HMRC app.  In a recent survey, half of parents with children under the age of 18 said that they would like to be able to conduct all of their tax matters digitally.

To make a new claim for Child Benefit, parents can create an online HMRC account and will need:

• child’s birth or adoption certificate
• bank details
• National Insurance number for themselves and their partner, if they have one
• child's original birth or adoption certificate and passport or travel document, for children born
  outside the UK.

HMRC has released a YouTube video explaining how parents can make a claim, with payments usually paid every 4 weeks automatically into a bank account.

If a claimant or their partner has an income of more than £60,000 a year, they will be liable to pay the High-Income Child Benefit Charge (HICBC), with more information including about how to pay on the HICBC PAYE digital service on GOV.UK.

 

source: HMRC