Answers · UK 2025/26

How much is the High Income Child Benefit Charge on £70,000 income with one child?

On £70,000 adjusted net income in 2026/27 with one child, the High Income Child Benefit Charge is £703.30, which is exactly 50% of the £1,406.60 annual Child Benefit, since £70,000 is the exact midpoint of the £60,000-£80,000 taper.

Last updated: 10 July 2026Last reviewed: 10 July 2026How we verify

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The High Income Child Benefit Charge (HICBC) claws back 1% of Child Benefit for every £200 of adjusted net income above £60,000, reaching 100% clawback at £80,000. £70,000 sits exactly halfway between the £60,000 lower threshold and the £80,000 point of full withdrawal, so the excess income is £10,000, and dividing by £200 gives exactly 50 -- meaning the household loses precisely half of its Child Benefit to the charge. For one child, annual Child Benefit in 2026/27 is £1,406.60, so the charge is £1,406.60 times 50%, which is £703.30, leaving a net £703.30 of Child Benefit actually retained after the charge is paid. The charge is collected through Self Assessment from whichever partner has the higher adjusted net income, regardless of who actually claims the benefit. £70,000 is a useful reference point because it shows the taper is exactly linear in £200 income bands between the two thresholds -- earning £5,000 more (£75,000) would push the charge to 75%, while earning £5,000 less (£65,000) would drop it to 25%. Many families at this income level choose to keep claiming Child Benefit even though half is clawed back, since the claim also protects National Insurance credits toward the State Pension for a parent who is not working, which are lost if the claim is opted out of entirely rather than merely reduced by the charge. Use the Child Benefit calculator to check your own figures.