Digital child benefit speeds up payment times

HMRC has launched an online, child benefit claim service for new parents, which will drastically reduce the amount of time it takes to make a claim and to receive payments.

How to use the online claim service

Under the old system, payments took up to 16 weeks to start. The recently-launched online service can take as little as 10 minutes to complete – and parents could have their payments arrive in just three days.

The great news is that most people will be able to use the new service if they have a Government Gateway ID. You can register for one here.

Before you begin your claim, make sure you have these documents and details ready:

• Your child’s birth or adoption certificate

• Bank or building society details

• Your National Insurance number (and your partner’s, if relevant)

With these in hand, you can begin your claim. There’s a helpful video on the Government’s site that explains the process.

If your child’s birth was registered outside the UK

You’ll still need to send the original documents by post. You can make your claim as soon as the birth is registered, and the claim can be backdated by up to 12 weeks.

If you’re unsure on whether you are eligible to claim child benefit, please get in touch with our experts.