What do you spend child benefit money on?

[fateisdestined2025]

Do you save it or spend it?

The means testing is a case of semantics. The benefit is taken back if you earn over a certain threshold. That is no different to not receiving it in the first place.

It is akin to saying everyone keeps all the money they earn but some people are then charged income tax.

Of course it’s means tested!

Whats the point in claiming it, in order to just pay it all back in tax? Surely it’s easier to not claim it in the first place, rather than to have it and give it up?

Unless I’m totally missing something.

Save £25 per child a month and the rest goes on swimming lessons.

If one parent is a SAHP it's important to claim the Child Benefit because they will receive National Insurance Credits during the years they are not employed (up until the child is age 12).
If their spouse is earning above the threshold then they don't need the CB money (so they pay it back) but the non employed parent needs their NI credits.

I get the milk, fresh fruit/veg for them for the week with it. They're very young with allergies so atm it uses most of it up. Any spares goes into their savings end of the month.

All our bills are allocated when our wages come in. The child benefit just so happens to come in when they need their top up shop. All very well planned 😂

My partner earns just over the threshold so we have to partially pay some child benefit back. We have to do a self assessment and never quite know how much it will be (his employer has got his tax code wrong before etc )so just to be on the safe side we save the whole lot in a savings account.
So we budget as if we don't get it at all which can be very tight.
I have a child with additional needs plus no support so can only work minimal hours self employed. So effectively a one income household/dont receive any other benefits.
My husband has actually turned down wage increases from work because actually we end up financially a lot worse off.
Frustratingly if we could both work bringing home 120k together we'd be entitled to the full amount of child benefit 🤷🏼‍♀️

But you can register for child benefit for NI purposes and opt not to claim the money. This beats paying it back, I think.

Orthodontic work.