Child benefit

[Kee91]

Hi me and my partner both work I earn about 18k and my partner about 35k we are expecting our first child but we are not sure what child credit we can claim for can anyone let us know what we are entitled to claim

You probably only qualify for child benefit which all children get, around 82 pounds per month but I think your over the threshold for anything else. You can use an online calculator called entitled to and it will give you a rough idea of what you can claim for.

@PeoniesandPretties - child benefit is means tested now

I don't think child benefit is means tested, as far as I'm aware everyone can get it but if you earn over £60,000 per year then you pay a portion back through tax contributions. I may be wrong but as far as I'm aware.

Child benefit is reduced if one of you earns over £50k. On your salaries it's fine.

Child benefit is a sliding scale from 50k to 60k - at 60 you get nothing (or if you do you have to pay it all back) but on your salaries you should get the full amount.

I think you’ll just get the £80 a month child benefit. That’s what I get and I earn the same as you and my partner earns £30k

Just child benefit at £20pw. The cut off for tax credits is around £35k so you earn too much to get anything else.

Thanks. If I was to go part time to save on child care would I be able to get anything else or will it still be the £20pw

Is child benefit calculated on household income? My ex and don't earn over 50 each but now we are divorced I'm considering letting my new partner move in who earns over 50, would I lose my child benefit?

Even if you stopped work entirely your partner's wage alone is just about at the cut off so you probably wouldn't get anything else. My ex earned the same as your partner and I was a SAHM and we only got child benefit.

With a partner on 35k you still won’t be entitled to anything. My DH earned similar when we had DD years ago and when I reduced work for a while I wasn’t entitled to anything.

(Except child benefit at £82 a month)

Although saying that it would be universal credit now and I'm not sure if that's different to tax credits. Your best bet is to try the online calculator.

Tax credits differs from universal credit...in that tax credits don't take savings into account.. Universal credit does

misssmiley Yes you'll lose all child benefit of your partner earns more than £60k even if he's not their father. Neither me nor my kids dad earn over £50k but I can't claim it because DP does. (Or rather, you could claim it if you wanted but he'd have to pay it back via his tax return )

You'll be fine though OP, but probably above the threshold for universal credit unless your joint income falls quite a bit

With a combined income of £53k I'm a little surprised that you might expect to get any benefits barring the universal child benefit and help with childcare costs!

When your child is 3 they will be eligible for 15 or 30 hours of "free" childcare. There is also the tax free childcare payments scheme that you can sign up to.

Child benefit is available in full until one of you earns £50k then there's a claw back. Not sure about anything else as you earn a lot more than the average household income but use the benefits calculator to make sure. Tax free childcare is something you may be able to take advantage of assuming you use someone whose registered.

I get over £300 a month with five kids, something to seriously consider before my partner moves in

Surely he would contribute if he moved in though?