PARENTS will want to know whether child benefit rates are going up this year.
Any extra cash will be a welcome relief for families battling against a cost of living crisis that is clobbering household finances.
Bills are going up from energy to food and fuel, with some reaching record-breaking highs.
It's being driven by inflation which has hit 5.5% according to latest figures – and is widely expected to pass 7% in April.
Families will want to know about all the help they can get while budgets are being squeezed.
We explain how much you can get in child benefits – and whether rates will rise this year.
How much is child benefit?
There are two child benefit rates families can get.
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One is for the eldest child, or for if you have only one child, and the other rate is for each further child or children you have.
Currently, the rate for your eldest or only child is £21.15 per week, which is £84.60 a month or just over £1,000 a year.
While for each other child you have, the rate is £14 a week – that's roughly £56 per month and just over £700 a year.
Will rates be going up in 2022?
Parents will be pleased to hear that child benefit is going up this year.
In April it will rise by 3.1% – with the new rates in play for the year through to April 2023.
HMRC has confirmed to The Sun:
- For the first or only child, the rate will be £21.80 a week
- For each subsequent child, it's £14.45 a week
That's an extra £33.80 and £23.40 a year respectively for each rate.
How do I apply?
You can apply for the help through the gov.uk website.
If you're in a couple, be aware that only one person can get the benefit – that means you'll have to decide who gets it.
You'll get paid every four weeks on a Monday or a Tuesday.
If you're responsible for a child under 16 and you live in the UK, you'll qualify for child benefit.
And you can get it if your child is under 20 and they're in approved education or training.
Being responsible for a child is qualified as living with them or you're paying at least the same amount as child benefit rates to look after them – like food and clothes for example.
There are other benefits you might get on top of child benefit if you're on a low income, like the child element of Universal Credit.
If you're not sure aif you qualify, you can contact the child benefit office.
You won't be able to get the full amount of child benefit if you earn over £50,000 and you'll get nothing at all if you earn over £60,000.
That's because of something called the High Income Child Benefit Charge – but if it applies then it's still worth claiming.
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