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Sun, 19 Jul 2026

Sun, 19 Jul 2026 Are you a parent missing out on £27 a week? Here's how to check

Thousands of new parents fail to claim child benefit until it is too late to receive some of the money, HMRC says.
Parents who are eligible for child benefit may be missing out on £27 per week if they don't claim it soon after their baby's birth. The benefit is paid every four weeks and can only be backdated for three months, meaning some families could be losing hundreds of pounds in the first year of parenthood. According to HMRC data, over 6.8 million parents received child benefit in the past year, but only 69% of them claimed it before their baby's first birthday. The main reasons for not claiming on time are often due to ignorance about the process or restrictions on high-earning parents receiving the benefit. To claim child benefit, parents need:
* Their child's birth or adoption certificate
* Bank details
* National Insurance numbers for themselves and their partner (if applicable) The annual publication of popular baby names serves as a reminder to complete these documents. In order to receive backdated payments, claims must be made within three months from the date HMRC receives it. Experts warn that many families may not be receiving what they're entitled to due to lack of knowledge about the claim process.