Child Benefit and other benefits for parents

In this section:

Does Child Benefit affect your other benefits?
Child Benefit - other benefits you might qualify for
How claiming Child Benefit can protect your State Pension
What are tax credits and who qualifies?
Guardian's Allowance

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Does Child Benefit affect your other benefits?

Does Child Benefit affect your other benefits?

Child Benefit doesn't normally affect any other benefits you get. However there are some benefits that may take your Child Benefit into account. It's important to tell other offices who pay your benefit if you're getting Child Benefit - so they don't pay you too much.

Which other benefits may be affected

Child Benefit isn't 'means tested' - the amount you get isn't affected by:

how much money you've got coming in - your income
the amount of savings you've got

But some other benefits are means-tested and the Child Benefit payments you get are counted as part of your income.

These means-tested benefits include:

Income Support
Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance (including all Training/New Deal Allowances paid with it)
Housing Benefit
Council Tax Benefit

If you're claiming any of these benefits it's important to let the office who pays the benefit know that you're also getting Child Benefit. That way you'll get the right amount of benefit from them. Otherwise you might get too much and then have to pay some back.

Does Child Benefit affect your tax credits?

Child Benefit doesn't count as income if you're applying for tax credits.

If you're getting Child Tax Credit for your children and Income Support or Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance for yourself, your Child Benefit no longer counts as income when Income Support or Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance is worked out.

If you're claiming other income-related benefits

When you apply for any of the means-tested benefits listed above you'll have to tell the office that pays them about your Child Benefit payments. You'll usually need to fill in a claim form to apply for the benefit - this will ask you about any children you're looking after and if you're getting Child Benefit for them.

If you start to get Child Benefit

If you're already getting any of the benefits listed above you'll have to let the office that pays you know if you start to get Child Benefit as well. For example, you might have your first baby. Don't forget to tell the benefit office too if you start to get more Child Benefit than you first told them about - for example if you have another child.

You'll need to get in touch with all the relevant offices if you're getting any means-tested benefits and then you start to get Child Benefit.

If you stop getting Child Benefit

If you've been getting Child Benefit and then it stops you'll need to get in touch with the offices that are paying your other benefits. They'll work out again how much benefit you should be getting. Your benefits may be different because your income will have gone down.

It's a good idea to get in touch with them straight away if you stop getting Child Benefit. If you delay and the benefit can't be backdated you'll miss out on any extra amounts that might be due to you.

You'll need to get in touch with all the relevant offices if you're getting any means-tested benefits and then your Child Benefit stops.

Contact details for reporting changes

If you're in England, Wales or Scotland

The offices to contact are:

for Income Support and Jobseeker's Allowance - the Jobcentre Plus
for Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit - your local council

Go to the Jobcentre Plus website

Search for your local council on the Directgov website

If you're in Northern Ireland