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Certificates you need to send with your claim form

You should send the Child Benefit Office the original of one of the following:

• your child's birth certificate
• the birth certificate you get after adoption
• your child's adoption certificate
  

You can send in either the short or long birth certificate.

You can't send in documents by email. The Child Benefit Office normally only accepts the original documents.

When you don't need to send in the certificate

If you've got Child Benefit for your child in the past you don't need to send in the birth or adoption certificate. But you do need to send in the certificate for a newly adopted a child.

Contact the Child Benefit Office if you don't know if you’ve been paid Child Benefit for your child before.

You can do this online by following the link below, or you can call the Child Benefit Helpline.

• Send your query to the Child Benefit Office online Opens new window

• Contact details for the Child Benefit Helpline

If you don't have your child's birth or adoption certificate

If you don't have the certificate you should still send in your claim form straight away. The Child Benefit Office can usually only backdate Child Benefit for three months after they get your form. So you may lose out on payments if you delay.

You should send in the certificate as soon as you get it.

If you've lost the certificate, you can apply for another one from the General Register Office. The Child Benefit Office will remind you if you forget to send it to them.

• Apply for a certificate for a child in England and Wales on the General Register Office website (external link) Opens new window

• Find out how to apply for a certificate for a child in Scotland on the General Register Office in Scotland website (external link) Opens new window

• Find out how to apply for a certificate for a child in Northern Ireland on the nidirect website Opens new window

If you're adopting a child

If you have problems getting your child's adoption certificate contact the Child Benefit Office and they may be able to help you.

You'll need to let them know:

• the official adoption date
• the address of the District Registrar's Office

You can contact the Child Benefit Office online by using the link below.

Or if you need to speak to someone, you can call the Child Benefit Helpline.

• Send your birth or adoption certificate query to the Child Benefit Office online Opens new window

• Contact details for the Child Benefit Helpline

Sending the certificates in the post

You can send your certificate by normal post. You don't need to use recorded or registered delivery.

If you’ve sent a United Kingdom birth certificate to the Child Benefit Office, they will always return it by normal post. Birth certificates from other countries and adoption certificates will be returned to you using the same method that you used. For example, if you sent an adoption certificate using registered delivery, they'll return it using registered delivery.

You should send the certificate to:

Child Benefit Office (Washington)
Freepost
NEA 10463
PO Box 133
Washington
NE38 7BR

If you don’t receive your certificate back within four weeks, you should contact the Child Benefit Office.

• Contact details for the Child Benefit Office

More useful links

• When to expect your first Child Benefit payment

Useful contacts

• Child Benefit Office