Child Benefit in the UK: how much you get per child in 2026

Child Benefit is a payment for children that almost any family in the UK can claim. How much depends on the number of children: the rate is higher for the first and lower for each additional child.

How much you get

• Eldest or only child — £27.05 a week.
• Each additional child — £17.90 a week.

If income is high: the tax charge

If one parent has a high income, a separate tax applies — the High Income Child Benefit Charge. It starts once adjusted net income passes a threshold and gradually claws the benefit back. If individual income is £20,000 or more above the threshold, the charge equals the full Child Benefit received — so you keep none of it.

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The exact income threshold is checked via the Child Benefit tax calculator on GOV.UK. Even when the charge makes the payment not worth keeping, many still claim to protect their National Insurance record — but that is a separate matter.

Amounts are from the current GOV.UK page; rates are reviewed periodically — check gov.uk/child-benefit.