How to claim child tax credit
You can claim child tax credit by updating your working tax credit claim. More specifically, you must report a change in circumstance.
What is Child Tax Credit? How much can I get? Do my children make me eligible for this benefit? If you have children, you could qualify for this benefit. Your Benefit will tell you everything you need to know about Child Tax Credit in 2022.
What is Child Tax Credit?
Child Tax Credit is a tax credit. It aims to award payments to families that have children and are on a low income. Furthermore, Child Tax Credit will not impact your Child Benefit in 2022.
Your Child Tax Credit can be impacted by multiple factors. For example, your payments may be impacted by the benefits that you or your children receive. Additionally, you may not get this benefit if you do not get Working Tax Credit.
The date of birth of your children may also play a role, especially if you are making a new claim. Finally, the amount you receive will be impacted by your circumstances.
How is it paid?
Child Tax Credit is paid directly on your bank account. You receive payments in a manner similar to other benefits and pensions. Additionally, the person that will receive the payments is the main person responsible for the child.
You will be paid every 4 weeks, or weekly. This is from the date your claim began until 5 April, which is the end of the tax year. A change in your situation may change this.
How much is Child Tax Credit?
This is a tax credit. Its aim is to lighten the financial load on low income families. The total amount that you receive is reliant on the total number of children you have. Additionally, whether this is a new claim or not will affect how much you receive.
Important
You may only apply for Child Tax Credit in 2022 if you already receive Working Tax Credit. If you do not, you may apply for Universal Credit instead. Additionally, you and your partner may be State Pension age or over. If so, then you may instead apply for Pension Credit.
| Child Tax Credit amount for the 2021 to 2022 tax year | |
|---|---|
| Child Tax Credit element | Maximum amount per year |
| 'Family element' (the basic amount) | £545 |
| 'Child element' (subsequent payment for each children) | £2,845 |
| Amount for disabled children | £3,435 (this amount is added to the child element) |
| Amount for severely disabled children | £1,390 (this amount is added to the child element and disabled child element) |
Who can claim Child Tax Credit?
You may only earn Child Tax Credit if you already benefit from getting Working Tax Credit in 2022. You may also only get this benefit for children you are responsible for. Note, however, that you may be a carer and earn the tax credit. You do not need to be a parent, only to be taking care of the children.
Disclaimer
Note that you may apply for Universal Credit if you are not eligible for Child Tax Credit. Your partner, as well as yourself, might be State Pension age or over. In this case, you may be eligible to claim Pension Credit. To apply, you must notify it in your tax credit claim. You can do so by reporting that your situation has changed.
Child responsibility and eligibility
You may only claim this benefit for children you are responsible for. How may you know you are responsible for a child? One or more of the following must apply:
- You and the child live together;
- The main person caring for them is you, and they live with you often;
- Their belongings, like their clothes and toys, stay in your home;
- You are financially taking care of them (this may include paying for their meals, or providing them pocket money);
- They both reside in Switzerland or a country of the European Economic Area, and depend on you financially.
If you share the responsibility for a child. It is recommended to both apply, if you are unsure who may earn Child Tax Credit. His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) will choose.
You may have adapted or fostered a child. Your local council may also not be paying you money. If so, you may be eligible for this benefit. The local council equivalent for Northern Ireland is Health and Social Services Board.
If you do receive money, contact HM Revenue and Customs, as you may still be eligible to receive Child Tax Credit. Additionally, you may be responsible for a disabled child. If this is this case, one of the two must apply:
- They receive Disability Living Allowance (DLA), Personal Independence Payment (PIP) or Armed Forces Independence Payment;
- The child is blind, and certified (they might have received their certification after the claim date. In this case, they are still eligible if it was received within 28 days of it).
The child might be admitted to the hospital and stop receiving Disability Living Allowance (DLA), Personal Independence Payment (PIP) or Armed Forces Independence Payment. This does not void your eligibility for this tax credit.
If you are still unsure if you are responsible for a child, you may contact HM Revenue and Customs. You can call them on 0300 200 3100.
Making a new Child Tax Credit claim
Important
As a reminder, you must receive Working Tax Credit to receive Child Tax Credit in 2022. The amount you may get depends on the date of birth of your children.
If your children were born before 6 April 2017, you may be eligible for the ‘child element’ part of Child Tax Credit. This applies to all of your children. Additionally, you will also get the ‘family element’ part of Child Tax Credit, which is the basic amount of the tax credit.
One or more of your children might have been born on or after 6 April 2017. In this case, up to 2 children may entitle you to the ‘child element’ of the tax credit. There are exceptions that entitle you to receive it for more than 2 children, like multiple birth and adoption.
The basic ‘family element’ is also not rewarded automatically. You will receive it only if one or more of your children were born prior to 6 April 2017.
You may have arrived in the United Kingdom from the European Economic Area on or after 1 July 2014. If you also do not work, you cannot immediately claim Child Tax Credit. You must wait 3 months from the date of your arrival.
There are exceptions. Refugees, people under humanitarian protection and others do not have to wait 3 months. Then, you can claim even if you do not work.
What if I am already claiming Child Benefit?
You may already claim Child Benefit. Then, the amount you receive with Child Tax Credit will not depend on the date of birth of your children. Instead, it will depend on your conditions and situation.
You may have begun your claim before 6 April 2017. In this case, you will get two elements. First, you will receive the basic amount, which is the ‘family element’. Second, you will receive the ‘child element’ for every child who was born prior to 6 April 2017.
You might have an additional child that was born on 6 April 2017 or after. If this is the case, they will qualify you for more ‘child element’ only if they are the second child of your application.
Disclaimer
There are exceptions that entitle you to receive it for more children, like multiple birth and adoption.
Your claim may have begun on 6 April 2017 or after. Then, 1 or 2 children will qualify you for ‘child element’. There are exceptions that entitle you to receive it for more than 2 children, like multiple birth and adoption.
The basic ‘family element’ is also not rewarded automatically. You will receive it only if one or more of your children were born prior to 6 April 2017.
All of your children may be born prior to 6 April 2017. In this case, all of your children will qualify you for ‘child element’. On top of this, you will receive the ‘family element’, the basic amount.
How many children can you claim for Child Tax Credit?
The amount of Child Tax Credit you may earn is usually maxed out at 2 children. This means you may not earn this benefit for more than 2 children. However, there are exceptions.
You may care for a third, fourth, etc… children that were born under different circumstances. This includes multiple births and non-consensual conception. If this applies to your children, you may earn Child Tax Credit for more than one child.
Adoption exceptions and children of children may also be included as an exception. What you are paid for these children will not impact the amount you get for the other children.
What about multiple births?
You may already earn Child Tax Credit for 2 children. You may then have had a multiple birth on 6 April 2017 or after. All but one of the children from this birth will qualify you for additional ‘child element’.
However, if the first or second child of the household is the first multiple birth child, you will then receive ‘child element’ for all the children of the multiple birth. For example, if you have twins, you will receive one more ‘child element’. For triplets, you will receive two, and so on.
You may claim additional Child Tax Credit for the baby of one of your children you are getting the benefit for. This is as long as your child does not claim the benefit themselves, and as long as they stay under your responsibility.
Furthermore, you may now be able to receive additional Child Tax Credit for a child you adopted. This is even if you already receive it for 2 children. This will usually be in effect from the moment that you become responsible for the child.
What about non-consensual conception?
Lastly, you may earn additional Child Tax Credit for a child born from a non-consensual conception. If the other biological parent of the child currently lives with you, however, you may not claim this. A non-consensual conception may be one of two things:
- A sexual act you did not or could not consent to which resulted in a birth;
- You were under coercion or the control of what is now the other biological parent;
- You were in an abusive relationship.
