Claiming Child Benefit can provide an important benefit by granting National Insurance credits.

If you claim Child Benefit and your child is under 12, you will automatically receive National Insurance credits. This in turn will protect your contribution record during periods of home responsibility.

The child benefit rates for the only or eldest child in a family is currently a weekly amount of £26.05 and the weekly rate for all other children is £17.25. Child Benefit is usually paid every 4 weeks. There is no limit to how many children parents can claim for.

These credits are important because they count towards your State Pension, ensuring that there are no gaps in your National Insurance record. This is particularly valuable if you are not working or if you are not earning enough to pay National Insurance contributions, as it helps build your entitlement to a State Pension.

However, if you do not need the National Insurance credits yourself, your family may still be able to benefit. In such cases, your husband, wife, or partner can apply to transfer the credits to themselves. Alternatively, if another family member is providing care for your child, they can apply for Specified Adult Childcare credits to ensure they also receive the National Insurance credits. This system allows families to protect their State Pension entitlements, even if one parent or caregiver is not earning an income.

The High Income Child Benefit Charge (HICBC) currently applies to taxpayers whose income exceeds £60,000 in a tax year and who are in receipt of Child Benefit. The HICBC is charged at the rate of 1% of the full Child Benefit award for each £200 of income between £60,000 and £80,000. For taxpayers with income above £80,000 the amount of the charge will equal the amount of Child Benefit received.

Taxpayers can choose whether to continue receiving Child Benefit and pay the charge or opt out of receiving it to avoid the charge altogether. It is usually beneficial to claim Child Benefit as doing so can safeguard the National Insurance credits and also ensure your child automatically receives a National Insurance number at or just before they turn 16 years old.