Financial support for families and children
Having children can bring significant additional costs, from everyday living expenses to childcare, housing and education.
There are different benefits and forms of financial support available to families in the UK. What you may be entitled to depends on factors such as your income, savings, household circumstances, the number and age of your children, childcare costs and, in some cases, your immigration or residence status.
Some support is available to families on lower incomes, while other benefits are not dependent on income.
This page provides an overview of the main types of support and explains where to find more detailed information.
Child Benefit
Child Benefit is a regular payment for people responsible for bringing up a child.
You can normally claim for a child who is:
- under 16; or
- under 20 if they are in approved education or training.
You do not normally have to be receiving Universal Credit or another means-tested benefit to claim Child Benefit.
There are rules about who can claim, where the child lives and what education or training they are undertaking.
Child Benefit can also provide National Insurance credits towards your State Pension if you are not working or do not otherwise receive National Insurance credits.
If you or your partner have a high income, the High Income Child Benefit Charge may mean that some or all of the Child Benefit has to be repaid through the tax system.
Universal Credit and children
Universal Credit can include additional amounts for children who live with you.
The amount can depend on:
- how many children you have;
- their circumstances;
- when they were born;
- whether a child has a disability;
- your household income and other circumstances.
Universal Credit can also provide help with eligible childcare costs if you are working or meet the relevant conditions.
Because Universal Credit is a means-tested benefit, your household’s income and other circumstances can affect the amount you receive.
For detailed information about Universal Credit, including how earnings, savings and housing costs affect your payment, see our Universal Credit page.
Help with childcare costs
Childcare can be one of the largest expenses for working parents.
Depending on your circumstances, you may be able to receive help through:
- Universal Credit childcare support;
- Tax-Free Childcare;
- funded childcare hours for eligible children;
- other local or education-related childcare support.
The different schemes have different eligibility rules and cannot always be combined.
The amount of help available can depend on your child’s age, your work or study circumstances, your income and the type of childcare you use.
It is therefore important to check which scheme applies to your circumstances before making arrangements.
Funded childcare and early education
Eligible children can receive funded early education and childcare.
The rules depend on the child’s age and the circumstances of the parents or carers.
The number of funded hours available has also changed over time, so it is important to check the current rules rather than relying on older information.
Your local authority or childcare provider can help confirm what funded childcare is available and which providers participate in the scheme.
Support for disabled children
Families caring for a disabled child or a child with a long-term health condition may be entitled to additional support.
This can include:
- Disability Living Allowance for children (DLA);
- additional amounts within Universal Credit;
- help with childcare;
- support from your local authority;
- other financial or practical assistance.
DLA for children is different from Personal Independence Payment (PIP).
A child who is under 16 may be able to receive DLA if their disability or health condition means they need substantially more care, attention or supervision than a child of the same age without a disability, or if they have mobility difficulties.
The assessment is based on the child’s needs rather than simply their diagnosis.
For detailed information about disability-related benefits, see our Disability & Carer Benefits page.
Benefits for parents and carers
If you provide substantial care for a child or another person who has a disability or health condition, you may also be entitled to support as a carer.
Depending on your circumstances, this can include:
- Carer’s Allowance;
- the Carer Element of Universal Credit;
- Carer’s Credit;
- local authority support.
The rules differ between these schemes.
For example, receiving a benefit because you are a carer does not necessarily mean that you will automatically qualify for every other form of support.
If you care for someone, it is therefore worth checking your entitlement separately rather than assuming that one benefit covers everything.
Child maintenance
Child Maintenance is financial support paid towards the everyday costs of raising a child.
It is normally the responsibility of the parent who does not provide most of the child’s day-to-day care to contribute financially.
Parents can arrange payments themselves or use the Child Maintenance Service if they cannot reach or maintain an arrangement.
Child maintenance is separate from Child Benefit and Universal Credit.
If you receive Universal Credit, child maintenance payments you receive for a child are generally not treated as income for Universal Credit purposes.
Help with school meals and education costs
Families on a low income may be able to receive help with costs connected with their children’s education.
Depending on your circumstances and where you live, this may include:
- free school meals;
- help with school clothing or uniforms;
- school travel assistance;
- grants or assistance from your local authority;
- support with school-related costs.
Eligibility for some of these schemes depends on your household income or the benefits you receive.
Rules can vary between local authorities, so it is important to check what is available in your area.
Healthy Start
Some pregnant women and families with young children may be eligible for the Healthy Start scheme.
Healthy Start can help eligible families buy certain healthy foods and vitamins.
Eligibility depends on your circumstances, including your stage of pregnancy or the age of your child and the benefits or income you receive.
Best Start Grant and Scottish benefits
Some family benefits are specific to Scotland.
If you live in Scotland, you may be entitled to support such as:
- Best Start Grant;
- Best Start Foods;
- Scottish Child Payment.
These are administered separately from the benefits system in England and Wales.
If you live in Scotland, check the relevant Scottish Government or Social Security Scotland rules rather than assuming that the arrangements described for England apply to you.
Your circumstances matter
There is no single package of benefits that applies to every family.
Your entitlement can depend on things such as:
Your income
Some benefits are means-tested and your earnings or other income can affect the amount you receive.
Your savings
Capital and savings can affect means-tested benefits, although the rules differ between benefits.
Your children
The number of children you have, their ages and their individual circumstances can affect your entitlement.
Childcare
If you pay for registered childcare, you may be able to receive financial help towards the cost.
Disability or health conditions
A child’s disability or health condition can lead to additional support, and caring responsibilities can also affect your entitlement.
Your relationship and household
Whether you are single, living with a partner, separated or sharing care of children can affect which benefits you can claim and how they are calculated.
Your immigration or residence status
Some benefits have residence and immigration-related eligibility rules.
If your right to access public funds is affected by your immigration status, it is particularly important to check the rules before making a claim.
See our Living in the UK and Immigration & Benefits pages for more information.
If you are a single parent
Being responsible for a child on your own can create particular financial pressures.
Depending on your circumstances, you may be able to receive a combination of support such as:
- Child Benefit;
- Universal Credit;
- help with childcare costs;
- support with housing costs;
- Council Tax support;
- disability-related benefits where relevant;
- free school meals and other local assistance.
Being a single parent does not automatically qualify you for every benefit. Your income, savings, housing situation, children’s circumstances and other factors still need to be considered.
If you have recently had a baby
Having a baby can change your entitlement to benefits and other support.
You may need to consider:
- registering the birth;
- claiming Child Benefit;
- reporting the birth to Universal Credit if you receive it;
- checking whether you qualify for childcare or other support;
- checking whether your household circumstances have changed in a way that affects your benefits.
It is important to report relevant changes promptly because benefits can be affected from particular dates.
If your child turns 16 or 18
A child’s age can affect benefits and other support.
For example, Child Benefit and child-related elements of means-tested benefits can depend on whether a young person remains in approved education or training.
When a child reaches 16, 18 or another relevant age, you may need to check whether your entitlement changes and whether you need to provide information about their education or circumstances.
Do not assume that a payment will automatically continue indefinitely.
Families with more than one child
Having more than one child does not necessarily mean that every additional child results in an identical increase in every benefit.
Different benefits have different rules about children, including rules concerning:
- the child’s age;
- when they were born;
- whether they are disabled;
- whether they remain in approved education or training;
- household income and other circumstances.
For Universal Credit in particular, the rules governing payments for children have changed over time.
If you are making a new claim or your family circumstances have changed, it is important to have your current circumstances assessed under the rules that apply to you.
How UK Benefits Help can assist
Understanding which benefits apply to your family can be difficult when several different schemes overlap.
UK Benefits Help can provide practical assistance with:
- understanding which types of support may be relevant to your circumstances;
- completing benefits-related forms and applications;
- organising supporting evidence;
- understanding letters and decisions;
- navigating online applications;
- explaining benefits terminology in straightforward language;
- identifying what information you may need before making a claim.
The aim is to help you understand the process and deal with the practical paperwork involved.
Forms, Evidence & Applications Support
Looking for help with family benefits?
If you are unsure what support your family may be entitled to, you can start by exploring the relevant information on this website.
You can also get practical help if you are struggling with an application, form or benefits-related correspondence.
Benefits rules can change and entitlement depends on individual circumstances. The information on this page is general guidance and should not be treated as a benefits entitlement decision.