Child benefit payments to go up next month

Child benefit payments are to be increased in April.

Next month, families with one child will start getting £26.05 a week - up from £25.60 a week.

Meanwhile, the amount for each additional child will go up from £16.95 a week to £17.25 a week.

According to government data, nearly 7m families are currently receiving child benefit payments for about 13m children.

There is no limit on how many children parents can claim child benefit for.

Child payment being paid early in April

You’ll usually be paid every four weeks on a Monday or Tuesday. 

But they’re being brought forward next month to 17 April because of the timing of the Easter weekend.

Easter Sunday falls on 20 April this year, which means Friday 18 April and Monday 21 April are both bank holidays.

Can I get child benefit?

If you or your partner earn a maximum of £60,000 a year, you’ll get the full amount of child benefit as long as:

• the child lives with you
• you're paying at least the same weekly amount to look after them as provided in child benefit

Child benefit is currently worth:

• £1,331 a year for your first child
• £881 a year for each additional child

You can claim child benefit through the GOV.UK website or via the HMRC app just 48 hours after a baby’s birth has been registered.

Check out our handy guide - Child benefit: How much is it and how does it work? - to find out more.