In this section:
- Problems with your Child Benefit - where to start
- How to complain to the Child Benefit Office
- Appealing against a Child Benefit decision
- You haven't received your usual Child Benefit payment
How to complain to the Child Benefit Office
In most cases, your dealings with the Child Benefit Office should be easy and cause you no difficulties or inconvenience. However, mistakes and delays can happen, or you may feel unhappy with how we have dealt with you. Whatever the problem, you have the right to complain about poor service.
When to complain
If you've had a bad experience, let us know as soon as possible. You may want to complain about:
- an unreasonable delay
- a mistake you feel could have been avoided
- how you've been treated
We're keen to learn from errors and put things right as quickly as possible.
How to complain
First steps
You can make a complaint in a number of ways. You can:
- Send in a complaint online by following the link below.
- Call the Child Benefit Helpline on Tel 0845 302 1444 or textphone Tel 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 Tel 0845 302 1489, and if you're calling from outside the UK it’s Tel + 44 161 210 3086.
- Write to:
Child Benefit Office
PO Box 1
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE88 1AA
If you write to us, put 'Complaint' at the top of your letter. If you're sending in your complaint online please put 'Complaint' as the first thing in the box that asks you for your question.
Make sure you provide, or are ready to give:
- your full name and address
- your National Insurance number
- the last reference number the Child Benefit Office used when contacting you
- a contact telephone number and if possible the best time you can be contacted, or email address
Tell us all you can about your complaint, including
- what went wrong
- when it happened
- who you dealt with
- how you'd like it settled
We'll look at your concerns and contact you - normally within 15 working days. We try to resolve most complaints at this stage.
Send in your Child Benefit complaint online
Contact the Child Benefit Office Director's Complaints Team
If you're unhappy with our response, you can ask the Director's Complaints Team to look at your complaint again. You can do this by:
- sending the Complaints Team a complaint online headed 'Complaint for the Director'
- writing to the Director at:
Child Benefit Office
PO Box 1
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE88 1AA
If you write to the Director, put 'Complaint' at the top of your letter.
You will need to provide:
- your full name and address
- your National Insurance number
- the last reference number we used when we contacted you
- a contact telephone number and if possible the best time you can be contacted, or email address
- reasons why you are unhappy with the response you have received so far
Send the Child Benefit Office Director a complaint online
Ask the Adjudicator to look at your complaint
If you're unhappy with the Director's decision you can ask the Adjudicator to look into your complaint. The Adjudicator is a fair and unbiased referee whose recommendations are independent. You can write to them at:
The Adjudicator's Office
8th Floor
Euston Tower
286 Euston Road
LONDON
NW1 3US
Tel 0300 057 1111
Fax 0300 057 1212
Visit the Adjudicator's Office website
Ombudsman
If you're still not happy with how your complaint's been handled, you can ask any MP to refer your case to the Parliamentary Ombudsman.
For more information:
- visit the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman website
- call the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman helpline on Tel 0845 015 4033
- send a fax on 020 7217 4160
You can also ask your MP to take up your case with us or Treasury Ministers.
Visit the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman website
What to expect when you complain
We are keen to help you if you need to complain and will deal with you in a friendly and professional way. We will:
- tell you that we've received your complaint, who's dealing with it and when we'll reply
- treat your complaint seriously and confidentially
- not treat you differently from other people because you've made a complaint
- not discriminate against you for any reason
Claiming back costs
You may be able to claim back reasonable costs caused by our mistakes like:
- postage
- phone calls
- travel expenses
- professional fees
- financial charges
We may make a small payment if:
- we caused you a lot of worry or distress
- your complaint was handled badly
- we took too long to deal with it
More useful links
Download a factsheet on complaints and putting things right (PDF 263K)
