How to claim Child Benefit
Claiming Child Benefit is straightforward, and the most important thing about it is timing: claim promptly, because backdating is capped. The claim itself can be made online, through the HMRC app, by post, or by phone, and the documents you need are few.
When to claim
You can claim 48 hours after registering the birth, or as soon as a child comes to live with you — for example on fostering or adoption. The claim can be backdated by up to 3 months from the date HMRC receives it. That cap is absolute in the rules as GOV.UK states them: there is no exception for a late claim, however good the reason. A parent who waits a year to claim has lost nine months of payments permanently, which is why HMRC's own figures about first-year non-claiming matter so much.
The routes
| Route | How it works |
|---|---|
| Online via GOV.UK | The standard online claim, using a Government Gateway account. |
| HMRC app | Claim and manage the claim from the app, which HMRC now promotes as the quickest route. |
| By post | Form CH2, sent to the Child Benefit Office. |
| By phone | Through the Child Benefit helpline. |
What you will need
- The child's birth or adoption certificate — you can start the claim without it, but HMRC may ask for it later.
- Your bank or building society account details — the payment goes into one account only.
- Your National Insurance number, and your partner's if you have one.
The payment goes into one bank or building society account only. It cannot be paid into a Post Office card account, and GOV.UK notes a specific exclusion for a Nationwide cashbuilder account in someone else's name (sort code 07 00 30). If the account details are wrong, the payment will fail rather than find its way to you, so check them before submitting.
What happens after you claim
HMRC processes the claim and payments begin, usually every four weeks on a Monday or Tuesday. GOV.UK states the payment day as Monday or Tuesday; this site does not assign payment days by National Insurance number, because GOV.UK does not state that detail. If you opted out of payments, no money arrives — but the claim is live, the credits build, and the child's National Insurance number will follow automatically. If anything about the claim is unclear, HMRC may ask for the birth certificate or further evidence before paying.