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Money, tax and benefits

Child Benefit - which changes you need to report

It's important to let the Child Benefit Office know of any changes in your circumstances as soon as possible. This will make sure you get all the money you're entitled to without any delays, and also that you don't get overpaid and have to pay some back.

Changes to do with you

Some changes in your circumstances can affect your entitlement to Child Benefit. You must tell HM Revenue & customs (HMRC) as soon as possible if any of the following changes happen.

 Type of change

 You must tell HMRC if:

Family changes
  • you marry, form a civil partnership, or start living with a partner
  • you stop living with a partner and you’re both getting Child Benefit
  • you have a baby
  • another child comes to live with you
  • you start getting paid by a local authority, or in Northern Ireland a Health and Social Services Board or Trust, for a child you’re looking after

Bank account, name or address changes
  • you want to change the account your Child Benefit is paid into
  • you’ve changed your name or address

Contributions to a child change or stop
  • you stop paying money or making contributions for a child who doesn’t live with you or is in hospital for more than 84 days
  • you go into hospital or prison for more than eight weeks and you stop making contributions for your child

Absence from the UK
  • you or your partner leave the UK permanently or for more than 52 weeks
  • you leave the UK temporarily for more than eight weeks, or more than 12 weeks because you or a member of your family is ill, or died
  • you lose your right to reside in the UK

Other changes 
  • you or your partner start to pay social security contributions to, or get social security benefit from, a foreign country
  • you leave Great Britain to go to Northern Ireland permanently, or Northern Ireland to go to Great Britain permanently

Changes to do with your child

Some changes in your child's circumstances can affect your entitlement to Child Benefit. You must tell HMRC as soon as possible about any of the following changes.

Type of change

 You must tell HMRC if your child:

Changes in your child's education or training
  • leaves relevant education and starts working 24 hours a week or more, and they get or expect payment
  • leaves relevant education or training earlier than the date you told us
  • stays in relevant education after the date you told us they would leave
  • starts relevant education that’s been provided by an employer or as part of any other job or role that they have
  • is aged 15 or over and can’t go to school, college or relevant training
  • reduces the time they get supervised study at school or college to 12 hours a week or less
  • starts a higher education course leading to a qualification like a degree
  • starts being educated at home and is 16 or over
  • starts relevant training that’s provided by their employer
  • starts a training course that’s not approved
  • is 19 and starts a different course of relevant education or training

Your child's away from home
  • has lived away from you for more than 56 days in any 16 week period
  • has for at least one day each week in the last eight weeks been looked after by a local authority (in Northern Ireland, a Health and Social Services Board or Trust), a voluntary organisation, or held in secure or non-secure accommodation
  • leaves the UK permanently or for more than 52 weeks
  • leaves the UK temporarily for more than 12 weeks
  • leaves Great Britain to go to Northern Ireland permanently, or Northern Ireland to go to Great Britain permanently
  • is in hospital or residential care for 12 weeks or more because they're ill or disabled and you will not be regularly spending money on them

Other changes
  • changes their name
  • starts receiving benefits in their own right
  • marries, forms a civil partnership or starts to live with a partner
  • is held in legal custody for more than eight weeks
  • goes missing

If your child dies

You will need to let HMRC know if your child dies. It will be a difficult time for you but they can usually carry on paying you Child Benefit for up to eight weeks after the date your child died. This may help with extra costs you face at this time.

How to report the changes

You can tell HMRC about any changes in your - or your child's - circumstances by:

  • sending an online form on the HMRC website
  • contacting the Child Benefit Office

You can 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 are telephoning from outside the UK you can call on + 44 161 210 3086.

Or you can write to HMRC at:
Child Benefit Office
PO Box 1
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE88 1AA.

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