Child Benefit claimants may receive a text message (Image: Getty Images/Tetra images RF)
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) claimants may need to keep an eye out on for alerts regarding Child Benefit, with official guidance clarifying that may send text messages to keep people informed, including updates on received claims, successful applications, or significant account changes.
While some texts may contain links to GOV.UK pages or webchat, the tax authority warns against scammers who mimic these messages with malicious links.
To safeguard against such scams, insists it will “never ask for personal or financial information when we send text messages.”
The guidance further advises: “We advise you not to open any links or reply to a tax message claiming to be from that offers you a tax refund in exchange for personal or financial details.”
For those who have made a claim or are receiving Child Benefit and encounter a suspicious text, the best course of action is to avoid responding or clicking on any links. Instead, contacting directly for verification is recommended.
Additional information on how to reach is available on .
How Child benefit could work for you
Child Benefit, designed to aid parents with children under 16 (or 20 if they continue in education or training), imposes no limit on the number of children that can be claimed for. A family can receive £25.60 per week for their eldest child and an additional £16.96 per week for any other children.
This amounts to £1,331.20 annually for one child and £2,212.60 annually for two children. Recent data from HM Revenue and Customs reveals that six million families across the UK are receiving payments from Child Benefit.
However, thousands of families are missing out on this extra financial support. Information obtained by The Sun indicates that approximately 214,000 eligible parents fail to apply for Child Benefit each year.
An added benefit is that it grants National Insurance Credits, which could potentially boost some parents’ . Typically, a minimum of 10 years’ worth of credits are needed to claim the , while 35 years of credit are usually required to receive the full .
This is particularly beneficial for parents not in paid work and those not receiving NI credits from their employer.
High Income earners
High-income earners face a significant drawback with Child Benefit due to the high-income charge. If a parent or their partner’s income exceeds £60,000 per annum, they may be hit with an additional charge on their benefit.
This continues until a parent’s individual income surpasses £80,000 – at which point the entire benefit amount must be repaid, essentially rendering it pointless unless you become unemployed and require the benefit for the NI credits it provides.
How to apply
To apply for Child Benefit, families will need:
- the child’s original birth or adoption certificate and passport or travel document, for children born outside the UK.
- their National Insurance number and that of their partner, if applicable.
- their child’s birth or adoption certificate.
- their bank account details
A claim can be initiated 48 hours after a child’s birth has been registered or when a child comes to live with you. Furthermore, a claim can be backdated up to three months.
It’s crucial to remember that only one person can receive Child Benefit for a child, so if there are two parents, you’ll need to decide who will receive the payment. This will also be the person who receives the National Insurance credits from the claim, which may influence your decision.
Child Benefit applications can be made online via GOV.UK, where you will be provided with a form to fill out. In some cases, you may need to print and send the completed form to along with supporting documents.