Fewer Eastwood and Kimberley families claiming Child Benefit

Anti-poverty campaign group Turn2Us warned the “intimidating” benefits system, including the High Income Child Benefit Charge, could deter families who need help from applying for cash they are entitled to.

Parents can claim Child Benefit – it is usually paid every four weeks and families receive £21.80 per week for the eldest child, and £14.45 for each subsequent child.

Families where one parent earns more than £50,000 a year are still eligible for the benefit, but will be taxed on it, so are able to opt out of receiving the money.

New HMRC data reveals there were 10,900 families in Broxtowe borough in receipt of the benefit on August 31 last year, a 2 per cent decrease on the same date in 2021.

This meant there were 185 fewer families receiving Child Benefit, in line with national trends.

In 2022, 7.7 million families across the UK were claiming Child Benefit, with 683,000 opting out.

This is a decrease of 43,000 claiming families, including those opting out, and 75,000 families receiving the payment when compared to August 2021.

David Samson, Turn2us benefits specialist, said: “There are many people who are entitled to help, but don’t access it, which is why it’s important to keep checking eligibility.

“A lot of benefits go unclaimed and it’s easy to see that this can often be due to how overly-complex the current system is.”

An HMRC spokesman said it is important to register for Child Benefit, even if you do not claim the money, as it helps parents qualify for National Insurance credits which help protect their state pension.

He said: “Child benefit provides important financial support for millions of UK families and we encourage all families to claim it.

“Those on higher incomes who may be affected by the tax charge can find out all the information they need and follow a simple process at gov.uk.”

The data also reveals the size of the families receiving Child Benefit.

In Broxtowe, 5,265 families had one child, while there were 4,280 with two and 1,025 with three children.

Overall there were 18,320 children in Broxtowe living in families in receipt of child benefit – up from 18,705 the year before.