Website of the UK government

When you can claim for a child

You can usually claim tax credits for:

• a new baby
• any child who lives with you, until 31 August after their 16th birthday
• children under 20, if they're in full-time education or approved training

If you have a new baby, the Tax Credit Office can backdate your payments to the date the baby was born as long as you claim within three months. For example, if your baby was born on 1 January but the Tax Credit Office only gets your claim on 1 June, they can only pay you from 1 March.

• New baby - what tax credits are you entitled to?

Once 31 August after your child's 16th birthday passes, you can still claim tax credits for them as long as they're under 20 and they're in full-time education or approved training. For example they're doing A levels or are on a Programme Led Apprenticeship.

• Your child reaches 16 - are you still entitled to tax credits?

Adoptive parents and foster parents

If your local authority has placed a child with you for either adoption or fostering, you can claim tax credits for them as long as you're not getting any money from your local authority or Health and Social Services Board.

If you are getting money from your local authority or Health and Social Services Board you should call the Tax Credit Helpline to find out if you can claim.

If your child lives with more than one person

If you're responsible for a child who sometimes lives with you and sometimes lives with someone else - for example your ex-partner - then only one of you can get tax credits for them. It's up to you and the other adult involved to decide who claims for the child.

If you can't agree and both of you make a claim then the Tax Credit Office will decide after contacting you both. If you're part of a couple, Child Tax Credit is usually paid directly to the person who is the child's main carer.

• Your child lives at more than one address - claiming tax credits

If your child lives outside the UK

You may be able to claim tax credits for your child if any of the following apply:

• you come from a country in the European Economic Area (EEA) and are working, or are actively looking for work, in the UK
• your child normally lives with you, but spends some time abroad, for example, they are studying elsewhere in the world and come home during school holidays
• your partner is a Crown Servant working anywhere overseas and your child lives with them

• You're from the EEA and your family doesn't live in the UK - find out about tax credits

• Find out more about Crown Servants living abroad and tax credits

EEA countries

Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the UK.

Keeping the Tax Credit Office up to date

Changes to report within one month

Tell the Tax Credit Office within one month if your child:

• leaves home or you start looking after a child
• leaves full-time education or approved training before 31 August after their 16th birthday
• starts training that's provided as part of their job
• gets a paid job and they're usually paid to work for 24 hours or more a week
• starts to claim benefits or tax credits in their own right

If you don't report these changes, you might be paid too much tax credits. If the Tax Credit Office does overpay you, you'll usually have to pay the money back. They may also charge you a penalty.

Changes to report within three months

Tell the Tax Credit Office within three months if your child:

• stays on at school or college after they reach 16
• starts an approved training course after they reach 16
• stops full time education but registers with a careers service - like Connexions

If you don't, you'll only get tax credits for them until 31 August after their 16th birthday.

• Tax credits: how and when to report changes

Contact the Tax Credit Office

If you need more help you can call the Tax Credit Helpline on 0845 300 3900, or textphone 0845 300 3909 if you are deaf or have a hearing or speech impairment (open from 8.00 am to 8.00 pm every day except Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day).

If you're calling from overseas you can also contact the Tax Credit Office on +44 289 053 8192.

More useful links

• How to claim tax credits

• Help with childcare costs - do you qualify for extra tax credits?

• Child Benefit - do you qualify?