Child Benefit and Guardian’s Allowance: Making a claim
This section of the website explains how to make a claim for child benefit and guardian’s allowance.
Child Benefit
Child benefit can be claimed online via the GOV.UK website.
If the claimant cannot, or prefers not to claim online, there is a child benefit claim form.
Form CH2 is the child benefit claim form. There are 3 main ways to obtain a claim form:
- In the bounty pack that is given to new mothers in hospital
- From the child benefit helpline (0300 200 3100;NGT text relay if you cannot hear or speak on the phone: dial 18001 then 0300 200 3100 ; and overseas +441612103086)
- By downloading from the GOV.UK website.
The form is also available in Welsh.
The completed claim form should be sent to:
Child Benefit Office
Washington
Newcastle Upon Tyne
NE88 1ZD
HMRC has produced guidance notes (CH2) to help claimants fill in the claim form. The guidance goes through the claim form page by page.
More detailed information for advisers about making a claim is available in the HMRC child benefit and guardian’s allowance manual.
If neither the online claim process nor the paper claim form to claim by post is suitable, claimants can claim by telephone.
Child Benefit should be claimed within three months of becoming entitled to it. Late claims can only be backdated up to three months.
HMRC recommend that a claim should be made as soon as:
- the child is born (online claims can be made as soon as 48 hours after the birth has been registered)
- a child the claimant is responsible for comes to live with them
- the claimant adopts a child who is living with them
- the claimant starts paying towards the cost of looking after their child (unless they live with someone else already getting child benefit)
Claims can normally only be backdated up to 3 months, and there is no need to show why the claim was late.
There are special rules for backdating for refugees. Providing the claim is made within three months of being awarded refugee status, the claim can be backdated to the date the person first claimed asylum. The HMRC child benefit and guardian’s allowance manual explains these rules in full.
HMRC generally require an original birth or adoption certification along with a completed claim form. HMRC advise claimants to send the form anyway, even if they don’t have the certification and they have also said that claimants should still claim child benefit even where they have been unable to register the birth of the child because of the impacts of coronavirus (COVID-19).
Another exception to this requirement is if someone has claimed child benefit for the same child previously.
HMRC have produced guidance for claimants about birth and adoption certificates.
Claims for both child benefit and guardian’s allowance
Under child benefit and guardian’s allowance legislation, where a person who claims child benefit also appears to have entitlement to guardian’s allowance for the same child or qualifying young person, the child benefit claim may be treated alternatively or additionally as a claim for guardian’s allowance.
Where a person who claims guardian’s allowance also appears to have entitlement to child benefit for the same child or qualifying young person, the guardian’s allowance claim may be treated alternatively or additionally as a claim for child benefit.
Guardian’s Allowance
Claims for guardian’s allowance are to be made on form BG1. This form must be completed online (it is not possible to save your answers and return later) or a paper copy can be obtained from the guardian’s allowance unit (0300 322 9080; Textphone 0300 200 3103).
A set of notes accompany the claim form which help claimants complete the form.
The completed form should be sent to the address on the claim form.
More detailed technical information for advisers about claiming guardian’s allowance is available in the HMRC child benefit and guardian’s allowance manual.
Backdating
Guardian’s allowance claims can generally only be backdated three months. As with child benefit above, special rules apply for refugees. In some cases, it can be backdated further if a claim for child benefit has also been made.
HMRC ask for original copies of the child’s birth certificate and the original death certificate of the parent (or parents).
Last reviewed/updated 16 July 2024