To remind you there is no cap on child benefit

[TheOneWithUnagi]

I see multiple threads believing that there is a 2 child cap on child benefit - there is no limit on the number of children you can claim child benefit for
I also listened to a whole LBC phone in last week where the host advocated the same thing.

The cap relates to the child element of UC and TC only. If you are eligible to claim child benefit for your first 2 children you can claim for any subsequent children as well.

This is from gov.uk

www.gov.uk/child-benefit

"There’s no limit to how many children you can claim for."

I can't believe so many people don't realise it's not about child benefit. I don't even have children and I knew about it before it came into force

For anyone claiming child benefit for an under 12 while also working enough hours to get NI credits, you can gift your child benefit NI credits to a nominated family member. You have to sign to say they support you with childcare, but this can be anything from a school run a week or occasional babysitting in the holidays to full-on set days with preschoolers, under the Specified Adult Childcare credit scheme.

In my case, my mum has 3 years of gaps in her NI record (though she's still under state pension age) so I give her my NI credits for doing some after school care. It's a simple form available on the gov.uk website.

Again you are not understanding, you can claim child benefit for any amount of kids as long as you are under the earnings limit

It's the extra tax credit/ universal credit you can't claim for which can be worth hundreds ,not a measly £20/ week
.

I found this out recently too (on here!)
So handy to know especially as lots of grandparents help with childcare

Wow, thank you for this! I also consider myself fairly politically aware and up on what's going on in the world, and I had no idea.

Why on earth is this so badly reported in the media?

It didn't help that it was reported on the bbc as child benefit when it should have been reported as universal credit/child tax credit.

I only found this out recently. The problem is the name, didn't it used to be called family allowance?

It was renamed Child Benefit in 1977...

As a over 75 grandmother - I make it my business to know how things work in government - even I knew this.

It is really important that so many 'but no-one told me about this' complainers to educate themselves about how things work.

Of course lazy reporting and lack of thorough training for those who need to convey information to the masses - journalist, politicians etc - need to stop using sloppy emotive language.

Keep it simple but lay out accurate information - many have difficulty in understanding things and believe what someone on social media trots out.

Maybe MN should have an 'explanation of benefits' topic (I jest).

Yes it was - maybe that is why I know it was family allowance by another name - I claimed it for my son when there was no such thing as UC!

It might not be a bad idea tbh especially universal credit and disabilities benefits!

I thought there were other benefits for low income families ,
What was supplementary benefits?

I don't know about other benefits as I worked full-time as a single parent but I was grateful for help like the additional personal allowance (as a single parent I had a tax allowance equivalent to a married man!) and an extra bit on my Child benefit for being a single parent. Family allowance was not normally paid for the first child.

I been trying to tell people this for years. Child benefit does not have a 2 child cap.