The TL;DR
For 2026/27, Child Benefit is £27.05 a week for your eldest or only child and £17.90 a week for each other child.
The detail
- If either parent earns over £60,000, some or all of it is paid back through the High Income Child Benefit Charge.
- Claiming still matters if you don’t work, because it protects your State Pension record.
- Claim as soon as you can after the birth — it can only be backdated three months.
Your 5-minute move
Your 5-minute move
Use the tools and explainers below to check your own numbers.
Related questions
Receipts · checked 9 November 2026