Website of the UK government

Where to get the claim form

There are several ways of getting a claim form. You can:

• get one from the 'Bounty Pack' that's given to new mothers in hospital
• fill in a Child Benefit claim form on screen and print it out - you'll still need to send it to the Child Benefit Office
• print out a blank Child Benefit claim form and fill it in by hand

Before you complete the claim form, please read the accompanying notes that will help you fill it in.

If you have problems getting a claim form, and are calling from the UK, please contact the Child Benefit Helpline on 0845 302 1444 or textphone 0845 302 1474. The helpline is open between 8.00 am and 8.00 pm, seven days a week, except Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day.

If your preferred language is Welsh you can call on 0845 302 1489, and if you’re calling from outside the UK + 44 161 210 3086.

• Get a Child Benefit claim form to fill in on screen and print out (PDF, 714K) Opens new window
• Get a blank Child Benefit claim form to print out (PDF, 116K) Opens new window
• Get a Welsh Child Benefit claim form to fill in on screen and print out (PDF, 944K) Opens new window
• Help with the Child Benefit claim form Opens new window
• Help with PDF files

When to claim Child Benefit

HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) can only backdate your Child Benefit for up to three months from the date they get your claim. So it's best to make your claim straight away to avoid losing money.

You should claim Child Benefit as soon as:

• 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 your child unless they live with someone else who's already getting Child Benefit

If your child has died and you want to claim Child Benefit for them, you should do so within three months of the date your child died.

• More about Child Benefit if your child dies Opens new window

Who can claim?

Anyone who's bringing up a child can claim. This is usually the mother, but it doesn’t have to be.

Paperwork you'll need

You'll need one of the following certificates for your child when you claim:

• a birth certificate
• a birth certificate you get after adoption
• an adoption certificate

This must be the original and not a copy.

If you haven't got the certificate, send HMRC your claim form anyway. You will be asked to send the certificate later.

You don’t need to send HMRC certificates for any of your children that you (or someone else) have had Child Benefit for in the past.

• Child Benefit and birth and adoption certificates Opens new window

What to do next

Once you've completed your claim form, send it along with the certificate, to:
Child Benefit Office (Washington)
Freepost
NEA 10463
PO Box 133
Washington
NE38 7BR

More useful links

• When to expect your first Child Benefit payment Opens new window
• How claiming Child Benefit can protect your State Pension Opens new window