UK Parents May Miss Out on £27 Weekly Child Benefit

Child Benefit in the United Kingdom provides £27.05 per week for a first child and £17.90 for each additional child. Parents must claim the allowance within three months of the baby’s birth registration, otherwise the payment can only be back‑dated to that period. HM Revenue & Customs data shows that only about 69 % of eligible families claim the benefit before the child’s first birthday, meaning thousands of parents could be missing hundreds of pounds.

The scheme also includes a High‑Income Child Benefit Charge: payments start to reduce when a parent earns £60,000 a year and cease entirely at £80,000. Families who do not claim in time or exceed the income threshold may lose entitled support.