Changes to Child Benefit for Higher Earners: What You Need to Know

Are you a family getting Child Benefit and one partner earns a good income? There are some recent changes to the rules that might affect you.

What's Child Benefit?

Child Benefit is a government payment you get to help with the costs of raising a child.

What's the High-Income Child Benefit Charge?

This is a system where some of the Child Benefit is taken back if one parent earns a high income. This is to make sure the benefit goes to families who need it most.

What's Changed?

• More families will keep the benefit: The income level at which the charge starts to apply has increased to £60,000.

• The charge is slower to take effect: For every £200 your income goes above £60,000, you only lose 1% of your Child Benefit.

• You'll keep some benefit even at higher incomes: You won't lose all your Child Benefit until your income reaches £80,000.

Here's an example:

Let's say you have 2 children and one parent stays home without an income. The other parent earns £70,000 a year.

• In the past, they would have lost all their Child Benefit.

• Now, they will only lose half of it.

Important things to remember:

• This only applies if one parent earns a high income.

• You can still claim Child Benefit even if the charge applies. This is important to keep your National Insurance credits for your state pension.

• There are bigger changes planned for 2026, but this won't affect you for now.

https://www.gov.uk/child-benefit/eligibility

If you're unsure if these changes affect you, it's always best to check with the government website or talk to a financial advisor.