Answers · UK 2025/26
How much is Child Benefit in 2026?
Child Benefit is £26.05 a week for your eldest child and £17.25 a week for each additional child in 2026/27. That is about £1,354 a year for one child. The High Income Child Benefit Charge claws it back between £60,000 and £80,000.
Full answer
For the 2026/27 tax year Child Benefit is £26.05 a week for the eldest or only child and £17.25 a week for each further child. Worked example: a family with two children receives £26.05 + £17.25 = £43.30 a week, about £2,252 a year. However, the High Income Child Benefit Charge (HICBC) applies if you or your partner have adjusted net income over £60,000: you repay 1% of the benefit for every £200 earned above £60,000, so it is fully clawed back at £80,000. Worked example: with adjusted income of £70,000 you are £10,000 over the threshold, so 50 × 1% = 50% of the benefit is recovered through a tax charge. Even if you expect to repay it all, it is often worth claiming to protect your State Pension via National Insurance credits — you can choose to receive the payments or just register for the credits. The charge is based on the higher earner’s income, not household income, which has long been criticised as unfair. The rules apply UK-wide, including Scotland. Use the Child Benefit and Take-Home Pay calculators to work out your net position once the charge is included.
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This answer is informational only and does not constitute financial, tax or legal advice. Figures are for the 2025/26 UK tax year. See our methodology and sources.