Child Benefit boost for millions of families
Child Benefit payments set to increase from 7 April
www.gov.ukHere’s the latest for Child Benefit as of early 2026.
-
What’s changing: UK Child Benefit payments are increasing. The eldest or only child payment is rising to £27.05 per week, and for each additional child, £17.90 per week. This represents an annual uplift of about £52 for the first child and £33.80 for each subsequent child. These updates take effect from 6 April 2026.
-
Who is affected: Families already receiving Child Benefit will see the higher amounts automatically in their payments, with the possibility to claim or extend claims online via the HMRC app or website to ensure continued eligibility and uninterrupted payments. As of 2026, roughly 6.9–7 million families could see the increases, depending on claim status and number of children.
-
Practical tips:
- If you have not claimed yet, it’s worth applying online or via the HMRC app to ensure eligibility and to receive backdated or ongoing payments.
- If you have older children, you may need to re-verify details or extend your claim online to cover 16–19-year-olds, where applicable.
- Budgeting note: the changes are administered in four-week cycles; adjust monthly budgeting to align with the new weekly rates starting in April 2026.
If you’d like, I can pull the exact official wording from HMRC or UK government pages for precise figures and links, and tailor the summary to your family’s situation (e.g., number of children, ages, and earnings).