You can get child benefit if you are responsible for a dependent child or a qualifying young person and you pass the residence and presence tests.

It is tax free and does not depend on your income or savings or whether you stay at home with the child. You do not have to be the parent.

Child benefit is now administered by the HM Revenue and Customs.

A 'dependent child' is a child or young person under the age of 16. A qualifying young person is under the age of 20 and in full-time, non-advanced education - i.e., more than 12 hours a week at school or college. You cannot count homework, private study, unsupervised study or meal breaks towards the 12 hours and the education can only be up to and including A-level, GNVQ level 3 or equivalent. If the young person themselves become entitled to benefit, for example, income support (IS) or incapacity benefit (IB) or to a training allowance, you cannot get child benefit for them.

WHEN THE YOUNG PERSON LEAVES SCHOOL

If the young person is in paid work for more than 24 hours a week, you cannot get child benefit for them. However, until the terminal date (see below), if the young person stops work or leaves the training course, you have retained your entitlement to the benefit so long as the other conditions are satisfied. This is sometimes known as an 'underlying entitlement' and you can write to the Child Benefit Office in Newcastle, telling them about the change and receive the benefit again. Keep a copy of the letter.

If the young person has left school or college and is not entitled to no-contribution IB, IS or income-based jobseeker's allowance (JSA), you will continue to be entitled to child benefit for them until the first Sunday after the 'terminal date'.

Once the young person reaches the terminal date, you may continue to be entitled to child benefit during what is called the 'Child Benefit Extension Period' (CBEP).

The CBEP starts from the terminal date for your child. It lasts for 20 weeks.

To be entitled to child benefit during the CBEP you:

• have to write asking for benefit to continue within 3 months of the education/training finishing; and
• must have been entitled to child benefit before the CBEP began because the young person was still in full-time education or approved training.

The young person must be:

• Under 18 and not in education or training, and
• Registered at a Careers Office or Connexions Service for work, education or training.
• Not working for 24 hours or more a week.

CHILD BENEFIT PER WEEK

Only/oldest qualifying child £18.80
Each subsequent child £12.55

DOES ANYTHING AFFECT WHAT YOU GET?

Child benefit is counted in full as income when your resources are calculated for entitlement to housing benefit and council tax benefit, but is ignored when calculating entitlement to IS, income-based JSA, working tax credit and child tax credit.

HOW DO YOU CLAIM?

Just after your baby is born you should receive an information pack, sometimes called a Bounty Pack, containing a child benefit claim pack. If you don't receive one, you can get one by ringing the Child Benefit Helpline - 0845 302 1444. Ask for a CH2 form.

You will be asked to send the birth or adoption certificate with the form, but do not wait. You can send certificates later. Send everything to the Child Benefit Office (Washington), PO Box 1, Newcastle upon Tyne NE88 1AA. You can also apply online using:
The Child Benefit E-service at: www.hmrc.gov.uk/childbenefit/index.htm

Don't delay making your claim. It can only be backdated for 3 months from the date the HM Revenue and Customs receives it.

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