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Wednesday, 3 October 2023

Money, tax and benefits

Child Benefit - which changes you need to report

It's important to let the Child Benefit Office know of any changes in your circumstances as soon as possible. This will make sure you get the money you're entitled to without any delays, and also that you don't get overpaid and have to pay some back.

Changes to do with you

Some changes in your circumstances can affect your entitlement to Child Benefit. You must tell the Child Benefit Office as soon as possible if any of the following changes happen.

Type of change	You must tell the Child Benefit Office if:
Family changes	you marry, form a civil partnership, or start living with a partner, and you're both getting Child Benefit you stop living with a partner and you’re both getting Child Benefit you have a baby another child comes to live with you you start getting paid by a local authority, or in Northern Ireland a Health and Social Services Board or Trust, for a child you’re looking after
Bank account, name or address changes	you want to change the account your Child Benefit is paid into you’ve changed your name or address
Contributions to a child change or stop	you stop paying money or making contributions for a child who doesn’t live with you or is in hospital for more than 84 days you go into hospital or prison for more than eight weeks and you stop making contributions for your child
Absence from the UK	you or your partner leave the UK permanently or for more than 52 weeks you leave the UK temporarily for more than eight weeks, or more than twelve weeks because you or a member of your family is ill, or has died you lose your right to reside in the UK your immigration status is changed by the Home Office
Other changes	you or your partner start to pay social security contributions to, or get social security benefit from, a foreign country you leave Great Britain to go to Northern Ireland permanently, or Northern Ireland to go to Great Britain permanently

How to change your bank account details for Child Benefit payments

Changes to do with your child

Some changes in your child's circumstances can affect your entitlement to Child Benefit. You must tell the Child Benefit Office as soon as possible about any of the following changes.

Type of change	You must tell the Child Benefit Office if your child:
Changes in your child's education or training	leaves school or college and starts working 24 hours a week or more, and they get or expect payment leaves school or college earlier than the date you told the Child Benefit Office stays on at school or college after the date you told the Child Benefit Office they would leave starts education that’s been provided by an employer or as part of any other job or role that they have reduces the time they get supervised study at school or college to 12 hours a week or less starts a higher education course leading to a qualification like a degree starts being educated at home and is 16 or over starts training that’s provided by their employer starts a training course that’s not approved
Your child's away from home	has lived away from you for more than 56 days in any 16 week period has for at least one day each week in the last eight weeks been looked after by a local authority (in Northern Ireland, a Health and Social Services Board or Trust), a voluntary organisation, or held in secure or non-secure accommodation leaves the UK permanently or for more than 52 weeks leaves the UK temporarily for more than 12 weeks leaves Great Britain to go to Northern Ireland permanently, or Northern Ireland to go to Great Britain permanently is in hospital or residential care for 12 weeks or more because they're ill or disabled and you will not be regularly spending money on them
Other changes	changes their name starts receiving benefits in their own right marries, forms a civil partnership or starts to live with a partner is held in legal custody for more than eight weeks goes missing

Find out more about further education or training and Child Benefit

If your child dies

You will need to let the Child Benefit Office know if your child dies. It will be a difficult time for you but you can usually get Child Benefit for up to eight weeks after the date your child died. This may help with extra costs you face at this time.