Who can claim Child Benefit
Child Benefit has a short eligibility test, and it turns on responsibility rather than income. There is no means test: earnings and savings do not affect whether you can claim, though they can affect whether a tax charge later claws some of the payment back. The test concerns who you are responsible for, how old they are, where you live, and whether anyone else already claims for the same child.
The test, in full
| Test | Rule (GOV.UK) |
|---|---|
| Responsibility | You are responsible for bringing up a child: you live with the child, or you pay at least the Child Benefit amount (or the equivalent in kind) towards their upkeep. |
| Age | The child is under 16, or under 20 and in approved education or training. |
| Residence | You are normally resident in the UK. |
| One claimant | Only one person can claim Child Benefit for a given child. |
| No child limit | There is no limit on the number of children you can claim for. |
What "responsible for bringing up" means
You do not have to be the child's parent. Grandparents, other relatives, foster carers and guardians can all claim if they are the person responsible for bringing the child up. The practical test is living with the child, or — if the child lives elsewhere — paying at least the Child Benefit amount towards their upkeep, or the equivalent in kind. If two people are both responsible for the same child, only one of them can claim, and the choice of who claims matters: the claimant is the one who builds up the National Insurance credits, so a couple where one partner is not working or earns too little to pay National Insurance should usually put the claim in that partner's name.
Fostering and adoption
Foster carers can claim if the council pays nothing towards the child's accommodation or maintenance. Adoptive parents can claim as soon as the child comes to live with them — there is no need to wait for the adoption process to finish. In both cases the ordinary rules apply from that point: one claimant per child, and the claim should be made promptly because backdating is capped at three months.
Under 16, and under 20 in approved education or training
The basic age limit is 16. After that, the claim continues only while the young person stays in approved, non-advanced education or training — A levels, T levels, Scottish Highers, NVQs up to level 3, and approved training courses. The turning-16 page explains the 31 August confirmation deadline and the 20-week extension for a 16- or 17-year-old who leaves education and registers with a careers service or the armed services.