How does child benefit work with blended families?

[rainydaysandmondaysagain]

I have two children with my ex husband, and I claim child benefit for them.

My partner has two children with her ex husband, and she claims child benefit for them.

If we move in together in the future, do we continue to claim separately for our own two children, or do we cancel those claims and put in one claim for four children? (Which I think would be less?)

Is this different if we do/don't get married?

If you are living together as a family then I think you'd have 1 claim for all the children where only 1 child gets the 1st child higher payment. It wouldn't matter if you were or weren't married

One of you would have to claim for all four children, which would be less as the eldest child on one claim would become a younger child.

its living together that would make you the one household for benefit purposes, not marriage.

Thanks so much, this is really helpful!

You can both continue to claim separately but once you update your address to the same household then only the eldest child of the 4 will get the higher rate.

you should both continue to claim for your own children as you get NI credits for claiming CB.