Parents are being urged to act now and make sure they don’t miss out on £1,331 in cost of living support they could be entitled to.
HMRC has revealed that more than one million familied have claimed Child Benefit using the organisation’s new digital service, which launched earlier this year.
New parents are being reminded that if they use the service to make their claim, they could get their payment in time for their baby’s first Christmas.
Child Benefit is worth £1,331 a year for the first child and £881 a year for each additional child.
It can be claimed online at GOV.UK or via the HMRC app just 48 hours after registering a baby’s birth and parents typically receive their first payment within 3 working days.
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Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s Director General for Customer Services, said: “Having a baby is a busy and expensive time but claiming Child Benefit online or via the app means you’ll get cash in your bank account as soon as possible.
“Claim now and you could get your first payment in time for your baby’s first Christmas. Download the HMRC app today.”
Claims can be backdated up to 12 weeks, and to get started all parents need is a birth certificate for their child, bank details and National Insurance numbers for themselves.
Child Benefit payments set to increase - how much you could get
Millions of families who claim Child Benefit will see their payments automatically increase next year.
Benefits including Child Benefits, Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payments (PIP) will increase by 1.7 per cent next April, in line with inflation figures from September.
Currently, Child Benefit is worth £25.60 a week for the eldest or only child, and £16.95 a week for each younger child after that.
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With the 1.7 per cent increase being confirmed, from April 2025 Child Benefit will be worth £26.05 a week for the eldest or only child, and £17.25 for younger children.
There is no limit to how many children families can claim Child Benefits for.
Families with ongoing claims do not need to contact HMRC, as the increased benefit payment will continue to be paid directly into their bank accounts.
Anyone who needs to update their personal details, such as a change of bank account or address, can do so using the HMRC app or online at GOV.UK.
Parents of newborns can also backdate their Child Benefit claims by up to three months.
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