HMRC sending bumper £216 payments to households in November

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) will be sending bumper payments of £216.40 to some UK households claiming Child Benefit in November.

Parents or guardians who are responsible for raising a child under the age of 16, or under 20 if they stay in approved education or training, can claim Child Benefit from HMRC to help with childcare costs. In the current tax year, Child Benefit is worth £27.05 per week for the eldest or only child, and an extra £17.90 per week for each additional child. The benefit is paid to claimants by HMRC every four weeks, with payments landing in accounts either on a Monday or a Tuesday.

For parents with one child, it means they can get £108.20 from HMRC in each four-week payment period, while those with more than one child can get an extra £71.60 per child every four weeks. But because November has five Mondays, some Child Benefit claimants will be paid twice by HMRC giving households bumper payments of at least £216.40 this month.

This will be the case if you were paid on Monday, November 2, as your next payment will be due four weeks later on Monday, November 30, making November a double payment month for some claimants.

Explaining how and when payments are made, HMRC said: “Child Benefit is usually paid every 4 weeks on a Monday or Tuesday. There are different payment dates if it’s due on a bank holiday.

“You can work out when you’re next going to get Child Benefit by counting 4 weeks forward from your last payment. Do not count forward if your payment was due on a bank holiday - the dates are different.

“Your payment might be delayed if the bank is closed for a public holiday on the day HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) pays you. Check with your bank for the date you’ll get your payment.”

Child Benefit rates are due to rise from April, with HM Treasury confirming a 3.5% boost to current rates in line with the consumer price index (CPI) inflation for the year to September 2026.

From April, the rate for the eldest or only child will rise from £27.05 per week to £28, while the rate for any additional children will go up from £17.90 per week to £18.55.

It means that parents claiming for their only or eldest child can get £1,456 in Child Benefit payments per year from HMRC in the 2027 to 2028 tax year, giving them an extra £49.40 annually on current rates.

For those with more than one child, they can get an extra £964.60 per year from April - an increase of £33.80 annually on current amounts.

The new rates were announced following Chancellor Healey’s Budget speech on October 28 where he set out the government’s spending plans for the year ahead.

Confirming the boosted payments from April, Emma Reynolds, Chief Secretary to the Treasury said: "I have decided to increase child benefit rates in line with the consumer price index for the year to September 2026, which is 3.5%. Guardian’s allowance will also increase by the same rate. This means that, from 12 April 2027:

• the child benefit rate for the eldest child will increase from £27.05 to £28.00 per week;
• the child benefit rate for other children will increase from £17.90 to £18.55 per week;
• guardian’s allowance will increase from £22.95 to £23.75 per week.

"I have determined that there will be no need for changes to tax credits rates in the tax year 2027-28, as there are no tax credits awards after 5 April 2025. The new rates will apply across the United Kingdom."

Documents published by Treasury after the Budget also sets out HMRC plans to automatically offset Child Benefit overpayments, in a move aimed at simplifying how the High Income Child Benefit Charge (HICBC) is paid.

The Treasury said: “HMRC will automatically offset Child Benefit overpayments against the High Income Child Benefit Charge (HICBC), simplifying administration for affected customers by reducing unnecessary payment and repayment transactions. This will be introduced through legislation in Finance Bill 2026-27 with retrospective effect from HICBC’s introduction in January 2013.”

Under current rules, where a Child Benefit claimant or their partner has an individual adjusted net income of more than £60,000, the higher earner may be subject to pay the HICBC.

The charge sees claimants pay back 1% of their Child Benefit for every £200 earned over £60,000. If you earn more than £80,000 then you must pay it all back.

Claimants can choose to pay the tax charge either through their PAYE tax code using the HICBC digital service, or through Self Assessment.