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If you are expecting a child, you can find out your entitlement when they are born by including them in the number of children you have. We will ask about their date of birth later in the calculator. More information is available on help during pregnancy.
If you can claim Child Benefit for a child then you should include them in the number of children that you enter. Only one family can make a claim for each child, though on occasion one parent claims Child Benefit for a child and the other claims Child Tax Credit for them.
In general the rules in benefits and tax credits follow the rules in Child Benefit. So if you (or your partner) are not claiming Child Benefit for a child then you should normally not include them in benefits and tax credit claims and should not include them in the calculator. However, it is possible in some instances to claim Child Tax Credit for a child even when you are not claiming Child Benefit for them. If you are not receiving Child Benefit for a child but they would count as a 'qualifying young person' for Child Benefit purposes and they normally live in your household then you should be entitled to Child Tax Credit for them. You should get specialist advice on your entitlements if this applies to you.
If you are in doubt about whether you can claim for a child see below for more information about: - shared custody
- children between 16 and 20
- care and adoption.
Shared custody
If you share custody of a child it is the person with 'main responsibility' who is normally eligible to claim Child Benefit and Child Tax Credit.
In deciding who has main responsibility for a child the number of days the child lives with you is important (the 'normally living with' test). However this is not the only factor that HM Revenue and Customs consider. In Child Tax Credit the 'normally living with' test can be considered on a more flexible basis than Child Benefit. For official information see HM Revenue and Customs' advice on shared custody.
Children between 16 and 20 Anyone aged under 16 counts as a child for Child Benefit purposes. Child Benefit can also be paid for young people aged 16, 17,18 and 19 if they count as a Qualifying Young Person.
If you claim Child Benefit for a child aged 16 years or over who is sick or disabled, you may instead be 'better-off' if they claimed Employment and Support Allowance. For more information see Employment and Support Allowance in youth.
The rules for entitlement to Child Tax Credit are the same as for Child Benefit. Anyone who counts as a 'qualifying young person' is eligible for inclusion in a claim for Child Benefit and for Child Tax Credit.
A 'qualifying young person' is someone who is: - 16 years old until 31 August following their 16th birthday, or
- 16 or 17 who is registered for work, education or training in certain circumstances
- 16 or over, but under 20, and in full-time further education or approved training, which commenced before the age of 19. (Even if such a course finaishes, they can still be classed as a 'qualifying young person' if enrolled or accepted onto another such course.
The maximum upper age limit to be counted as a qualifying young person' is 20. This is to enable support to continue for a young person who is already on a training course, either until they finish their course of education or training or they reach the age of 20, whichever is sooner. Young people in higher education do not count as a 'qualifying young person'.
Care and adoption
If you have a child who is in care, or if you are caring for or adopting a child, then special rules apply to both Child Benefit and Child Tax Credit. You should check with HM Revenue and Customs to see how the rules affect you.
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