Child tax credits
There are two tax credits available that you may qualify for. One is Child Tax Credit and the other is Working Tax Credit.
In order to qualify for Child Tax Credit you must be responsible for at least one child who is under the age of 16 or under 20 but in full time education or training.
You do not have to be working in order to qualify for Child Tax Credit.
Only one household can claim tax credits for a child. So if you look after a child who sometimes lives with you and sometimes lives with someone else, you'll have to decide who'll claim.
It's up to you and the other person the child lives with to decide who'll claim. If the child doesn't live with you at all you can't claim, even if you're paying maintenance.
In order to make a claim, you must be over the age of 16 and usually live in the UK. People may still qualify for CTC if they live outside of the UK; this is applicable when a person is a citizen of another country in the EEA yet works in the UK.
You may also qualify if you do not live in the UK if you are a Crown Servant who has been posted overseas or if you are a citizen of the UK or EEA and you are in receipt of a UK state pension or contributions-based Job Seeker’s Allowance.
Child Tax Credit is generally paid to the person who is mainly responsible for the child and can be paid into any bank or building society, or any National Savings & Investments account that accepts direct debit.
For more information on Child Tax Credit and whether or not you qualify, visit the HM Revenue & Customs website.
Child Benefit
There are two amounts which you may be entitled to if you have more than one child. Your eldest child (or only child) will get £20.80 a week. Other children you are responsible for will get £13.20 a week.
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