Child Benefit

New arrivals to the UK and Child Benefit
If you’ve come from another country to live in the UK you may be able to get Child Benefit for your child. But to qualify for it you’ll have to satisfy some ‘residency’ rules.
Who qualifies for Child Benefit?
To get Child Benefit you’ll normally need to:
be physically present in the UK – together with your child
be ‘ordinarily resident’ in the UK – so your main home is here
have a ‘right to reside’ in the UK
be responsible for the child who’s living with you
Being present in the UK
Generally, to get Child Benefit both you and your child must be physically present in the UK. But you’ll still be able to get it if you’re out of the country for short, temporary stays, like on holiday.
Being ‘ordinarily resident’
To get Child Benefit, you normally have to be ordinarily resident in the UK. You’ll usually be ordinarily resident if:
your main home is in the UK
you’ve chosen to live and settle here
you only go abroad for short periods, like on holiday
The Child Benefit Office will decide whether or not you’re ordinarily resident by looking at all your circumstances.
Ordinarily resident – an example
Aleksy and his wife and son have moved permanently to the UK from Poland. Aleksy works as a self-employed property developer and his son is registered at the local school. As the family’s main home is in the UK and they have chosen to live and settle here, they are classed as being ordinarily resident and can make a claim for Child Benefit.
Having a ‘right to reside’ in the UK
To get Child Benefit you need to have a ‘right to reside’ in the UK. You have a right to reside in the UK if you’re:
a UK national
from the Channel Islands
from the Isle of Man
from the Republic of Ireland
If you’re from another country, check if you have the right to reside by using the table below. The information in the table applies from 1 May 2011.
Where you’re from When you have a right to reside in the UK
Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland
If one of the following applies:
you are working for an employer or are self-employed in the UK
you are actively looking for work and are registered with Jobcentre Plus
you can support yourself and your family financially – and have comprehensive sickness insurance cover for yourself and your family
You also have a right to reside if one of the above applies to a family member you are dependent on – for example your partner.
If you’re subject to ‘immigration control’
You may not be able to get Child Benefit if you’re subject to ‘immigration control’. Immigration control means either:
the Home Office gives you permission to stay in the UK (known as ‘leave to enter or remain’) – but this permission is given to you on the grounds that you don’t claim some benefits, tax credits or housing help paid by the UK government (known as ‘no recourse to public funds’)
you need permission to stay in the UK – again known as ‘leave to enter or remain’- but you don’t have it
you have been given permission to stay in the UK – but on the condition that someone else, like a friend, employer or relative (often called your ‘sponsor’), supports you
you have been refused permission to stay in the UK – but you have appealed against that decision and your appeal hasn’t been decided yet
Sometimes if you’re subject to immigration control you might still be able to claim Child Benefit, for example if you’re from a country with which the UK has a social security agreement that covers Child Benefit.
Subject to immigration control – an example
Anisha and her children are from India and are staying with her sister’s family near London. Anisha wants to make her home in the UK, but she hasn’t been given permission to remain here permanently.
Anisha is subject to immigration control, so can’t claim Child Benefit.
When you’re not subject to ‘immigration control’
You’re not subject to immigration control if any of the following applies:
you’re a UK national
you’re from the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland
you’ve claimed asylum and you have been told by the Home Office that you can stay in the UK as a refugee
the Home Office has told you that you are allowed to stay in the UK indefinitely
If you’re from a Commonwealth country and serve in the British Forces
If you’re from one of the Commonwealth countries and you are serving in the British Forces in the UK, you are not subject to immigration control. This means you would usually be able to get Child Benefit.
You might be serving in the British Forces in the UK and then are posted back overseas. You can usually carry on getting Child Benefit even if you’re outside of the UK.
If you’ve come to the UK but your child has stayed behind
There are different arrangements for Child Benefit depending on whether you are working and if you’re a national of a European Economic Area (EEA) country or not. Whatever your situation, you won’t qualify unless you’re responsible for your child.
If you have come to the UK and you’re a national of a country outside the EEA or Switzerland, you may qualify for Child Benefit once your child actually arrives in the UK.
If however you are a national of an EEA country or Switzerland, you can usually get Child Benefit even if your child doesn’t come to the UK. But your child will need to be living in an EEA country or Switzerland.
Countries that are in the European Economic Area (EEA)
The countries in the EEA along with the UK are Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden
Telephone
Child Benefit Helpline
We can only discuss your claim with you personally. If your partner or someone else calls for you, we can only give them general advice – unless you have authorised them to act on your behalf.
General help and advice with your Child Benefit – Opening hours
8.00 am to 8.00 pm, Monday to Friday 8.00 am to 4.00 pm Saturday Closed Sundays, Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and New Year’s Day
0845 302 1444
If you’re calling from abroad please telephone:
+44 161 210 3086
How to claim Child Benefit
The only way to claim Child Benefit is to fill in a Child Benefit claim form. You need to send the claim form to the Child Benefit Office along with your child’s birth or adoption certificate. You can’t claim over the phone or the Internet.
Where to get the claim form
There are a couple of ways of getting a claim form. You can:
get one from the ‘Bounty Pack’ that’s given to new mothers in hospital
fill in a Child Benefit claim form on screen and print it out – you’ll still need to send it to the Child Benefit Office
You can also print out a blank Child Benefit claim form in Welsh, if that’s your preferred language, and fill it in by hand.
If you have any problems completing the form on screen, you can call the Child Benefit Helpline.
You can also get the claim form from the Child Benefit Helpline if you have problems getting hold of one.
When to claim Child Benefit
Your Child Benefit can only be backdated for up to three months from the date the Child Benefit Office receives your claim. So it’s best to make your claim straight away to avoid losing money.
You should claim Child Benefit as soon as:
your child is born
a child you’re responsible for comes to live with you
you adopt a child who’s living with you
you start paying towards the cost of looking after your child unless they live with someone else who’s already getting Child Benefit
If your child has died and you want to claim for them, you should do so within three months of the date your child died.
Who can claim?
Anyone who’s bringing up a child can claim. This is usually the mother, but it doesn’t have to be.
Paperwork you’ll need
You’ll need one of the following certificates for your child when you claim:
a birth certificate
a birth certificate you get after adoption
an adoption certificate
This must be the original and not a copy. The Child Benefit Office will send it back to you when they have finished with it.
If you haven’t got the certificate, send the Child Benefit Office your claim form anyway. They’ll ask you to send the certificate later.
You don’t need to send the certificates for any of your children that you (or someone else) have had Child Benefit for in the past.
Where to send your claim form
Once you’ve completed your claim form, send it along with the certificate, to: Child Benefit Office (Washington) Freepost NEA 10463 PO Box 133 Washington NE38 7BR
Child Benefit Form
https://www.hmrc.gov.uk/forms/ch2-online.pdf