All offers
Government money
Child Benefit
From HMRC
Worth about
£1,406.60
£27.05 a week for your eldest or only child, £17.90 a week for each other child. That's roughly £1,406.60 in your baby's first year.
Go to GOV.UKWho can get it?
Anyone expecting or with a new baby can apply.
How to claim
Government sign-inOnline form
- 1Register the birth (within 42 days in England and Wales, 21 days in Scotland).
- 2From 48 hours after registering, claim online through HMRC (sign in with Government Gateway or GOV.UK One Login) or the HMRC app. You can also claim by post or phone.
- 3Claim even if one parent earns over £60,000. You can opt out of payments but keep the National Insurance credits that protect a stay-at-home parent's State Pension.
Not your first child? You'll usually add this baby to your existing claim instead.
Have these ready
- Birth certificate (you can claim without it, but it's slower)
- Your National Insurance number
- Your partner's National Insurance number
- Bank details
Checked on GOV.UK on 3 October 2026. Offers change, so check before you rely on it.
When to apply
Opens
At birth
Best by
3 months after birth
Claims only backdate 3 months
See your exact dates
Add your due date to see when this opens and closes for you, whether you qualify, and track it with everything else you can claim.
Check what I can claim