Claim and deal with Child Benefit for someone else
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1. If your child has a baby
If a child you鈥檙e responsible for has a baby, they can claim Child Benefit or you can claim for both them and their baby.
This guide is also available in Welsh (Cymraeg).
If your child claims Child Benefit, they鈥檒l get:
- 拢26.05 a week, if it鈥檚 their eldest or only child
- National Insurance credits聽which count towards their State Pension, if they鈥檙e over 16
If you claim on their behalf:
- you鈥檒l get 拢17.25 a week for each additional child you claim for - if you pay the High Income Child Benefit Charge, you鈥檒l get no extra money
- your child will not get National Insurance credits
The Child Benefit Office can only pay Child Benefit into one account. This can be a joint account you share with your child.
2. Appointees
You can apply for the right to deal with the Child Benefit of someone who cannot manage their own affairs, for example because they鈥檙e mentally incapable or severely disabled.
This is called becoming an 鈥榓ppointee鈥�.
You can apply as an individual or as a voluntary organisation.
If you鈥檙e paid to deal with someone else鈥檚 Child Benefit, you鈥檙e known as a 鈥榩aid agent鈥�.
You鈥檙e not an appointee if you just help someone complete their claim form.
How to become an appointee
Contact the Child Benefit Office to apply. They鈥檒l discuss if becoming an appointee is the best option and tell you what you need to do.
Your responsibilities
As an appointee, you must do things like:
- complete the claim form
- deal with any letters from the Child Benefit Office
- report any changes that affect Child Benefit
- stop or restart payments where the person or their partner is affected by the High Income Child Benefit Charge
The Child Benefit will be paid into your bank account.
How to become a paid agent
Your client must send a letter to the Child Benefit Office, saying you can deal with Child Benefit on their behalf.
Stop or change an appointee or paid agent
Write to the Child Benefit Office within one month of when you want to stop or change the appointee.
3. Authorisation
The Child Benefit Helpline can only discuss a claim with the person named on the claim form (or their appointee). A partner or someone else can get general advice but they must be 鈥榓uthorised鈥� to discuss a claim with the helpline.
The process is different if you act for a lot of clients or you鈥檙e a paid agent.
Get authorised
The claimant must fill in form CH105, or write a letter with the same information, and send it to the Child Benefit Office - the address is on the form.
The authorisation lasts 12 months unless a different end date is put on the form. It usually takes 2 days to get authorised from when your form is received. Usually, you won鈥檛 get a letter confirming the authorisation.
The Child Benefit Office will also need to have received the claimant鈥檚 Child Benefit claim form.
More than one person can be authorised but they each must send a CH105 form.
If you act for a lot of clients
Write to the Child Benefit Office to register as an 鈥榠ntermediary organisation鈥� if you work in the voluntary sector and act for many people.
You can get authorisation if you鈥檙e an intermediary organisation and your client has given you a completed CH105. You must keep your client鈥檚 CH105 for 7 years from the date it was signed.
If you鈥檙e a paid agent
Your client must send a letter to the Child Benefit Office, saying you can deal with Child Benefit on their behalf.
To authorise you to deal with High Income Child Benefit Tax Charge matters they also need to fill in form CH995.
Cancel an authorisation
An authorisation can be cancelled by writing to the Child Benefit Office.