Child Benefit payments are rising from next week.

You can claim Child Benefit for a child under 16 or 20 if in education.

The child must live with you or you pay towards their care.

Child Benefit payments will rise by 3.8% from April 6, 2026. The rate for the first child will increase from £26.05 to £27.50 a week. The rate for additional children will also rise. This change will help many families. Child Benefit is an important payment.

The rate for additional children will rise from £17.25 to £17.90 a week. Child Benefit is paid every four weeks by HMRC. This payment helps with childcare costs. Many families rely on it.

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You can claim Child Benefit for any number of children, but only one person can claim per child.

If you or your partner earn over £60,000, you pay back some Child Benefit. This is called the High Income Child Benefit Charge. It is a way to balance benefits and income.

For every £200 earned over £60,000, you pay back 1% of Child Benefit. If you earn over £80,000, you pay back all Child Benefit. This charge applies to high earners.

You can pay the high income charge through self-assessment or your tax code. Many families claim Child Benefit, over seven million.

The two-child benefit cap will also be removed next week. This cap restricts Universal Credit and Tax Credits for third or subsequent children born after April 6, 2017.

If your first child was born after April 6, 2017, you get £292.81 extra per month from Universal Credit. This amount is for each child after the first.

The extra amount from Universal Credit is rising to £303.94 a month from April 2026. Universal Credit claimants get more for their first child if born before April 6, 2017. They get £339 a month for the first child and £292.81 for the second.

Many children were impacted by the two-child benefit cap in April 2025, 1,665,540 in total.

The two-child benefit cap is separate from the benefit cap, which limits total benefits.

The benefit cap and two-child benefit cap are different rules.