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What your Award Notice shows

Your Award Notice has several sections showing:

• information about your Child Benefit - how much you'll get, who it's paid for, when your payments start and how they'll be paid
• details about how your Child Benefit is worked out
• any other important information about your award, for example if it includes an extra amount for Guardian's Allowance
• what to do if you've got a question about your award, or if you disagree with something

The Award Notice includes a reply slip you can use to tell the Child Benefit Office about any changes in your circumstances.

You'll also find the following information on your Award Notice:

• your Child Benefit reference number
• your National Insurance number
• the Child Benefit Office contact details

If you need to contact the Child Benefit Office, have your Child Benefit reference number and your National Insurance number to hand.

How the Child Benefit Office works out your Child Benefit

There are two different rates of Child Benefit:

• a higher rate for your eldest, or only, child
• a lower rate for each of your additional children

The Child Benefit Office works out your award based on how many of your children you're claiming for.

There's also an extra Guardian's Allowance that you might get if you're bringing up someone else's child, because one or both parents have died.

• Child Benefit rates

• Guardian's Allowance - find out more

How long do you get Child Benefit for?

You can normally get Child Benefit until your child's 16 years old. Payments usually carry on until the 31 August following their 16th birthday.

If your child stays on in education or training that counts for Child Benefit you may get it for even longer. Follow the first link below to find out what training or education counts for Child Benefit.

• Child Benefit if your child is in further education or training

• Child Benefit if your child is 16 or over

Can you backdate a Child Benefit claim?

Your Child Benefit claim can only be backdated for up to three months from the date the Child Benefit Office receives it. To avoid losing any money, it’s best to claim Child Benefit as soon as any of the following happen:

• your child is born
• a child you're responsible for comes to live with you
• you adopt a child who's living with you
• you start paying towards the cost of looking after a child (unless they live with someone else who's already getting Child Benefit)

The earliest your claim can be backdated is the Monday following your child's date of birth.

Example

If you claimed two months after your child was born, the Child Benefit Office could backdate your award from the Monday following your child's date of birth. But if you didn't claim until four months after they were born, they'd only be able to backdate your award for three months. This means you will lose out on a month's payment.

Bank account details

Make sure the Child Benefit Office is paying your Child Benefit into the right bank account - the one you told them to use.

If you want to change this, you'll need to tell them as soon as possible.

• Find out how to change your bank account details for Child Benefit payments

If your circumstances change

You must tell the Child Benefit Office about any changes that might affect your payments including:

• a new baby
• moving house
• changing who you live with

Use the link below for a full list.

• Child Benefit - which changes you need to report

Keeping your Award Notice

Keep your Award Notice somewhere safe as you could need it if you apply for other financial support and you need to give:

• proof you're getting Child Benefit
• your Child Benefit reference number

If you're not happy with the Child Benefit Office's decision

You can ask the Child Benefit Office to explain how they made their decision about your Child Benefit.

You need to do this within one month of the date on your Award Notice.

• Problems with your Child Benefit - where to start

More useful links

• Child Benefit - when to expect your first payment