How the High Income Child Benefit Charge works in 2026/27: the £60,000-£80,000 taper, who pays, how to calculate it, and ways to legally reduce it.
From SMP and Maternity Allowance to Child Benefit, Tax-Free Childcare and HICBC -- the complete financial checklist when you have a baby in the UK in 2026.
Adjusted Net Income affects your Child Benefit charge, Personal Allowance, and Gift Aid relief. Here's exactly how to calculate yours and why it matters.
The HICBC threshold rose to £60,000 in April 2024. Here is how the new taper works, strategies to reduce your adjusted net income and the PAYE changes coming in 2026.
Child Benefit rates for 2026/27 are GBP 26.05 per week for the first child and GBP 17.25 for additional children. The High Income Child Benefit Charge applies when adjusted net income exceeds GBP 60,000, with the charge fully eliminating the benefit at GBP 80,000. Since April 2024 the charge is assessed individually, not per household.
The High Income Child Benefit Charge claws back Child Benefit between 60,000 GBP and 80,000 GBP of adjusted net income. A pension contribution that lowers your adjusted net income can keep the benefit and cut your tax in one move.
HICBC explained for 2026/27: the £60,000 threshold, the £80,000 full clawback, how the charge is calculated, and how pension contributions can reduce your adjusted net income.
September 2026 brings children back to school — and a set of financial tasks for parents. Free childcare hours, Tax-Free Childcare, Child Trust Fund maturity, Child Benefit claims, and more.
Child Benefit pays £27.05/week for your first child and £17.90/week for each additional child in 2026/27. Full guide to rates, the High Income Child Benefit Charge, and how salary sacrifice can protect your entitlement.
Five detailed HICBC worked examples for 2026/27: the new £60k-£80k taper, salary sacrifice strategy, joint income scenarios, and the cliff edge at £80,000.
Most UK benefits uprate in April, but some change in September/November. When Universal Credit changes, what triggers uprating, and the full 2026/27 rates guide.
