HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has made the online service for claiming child benefit available for all families.
This follows the launch of the service for those with children under six months-old in May of last year.
The department has developed a claims process on the GOV.UK platform that it said can be completed in around 10 minutes and enable payments to be made in as little as three days.
A spokesperson for HMRC said: “When it launched in May, the online service was only available to a small cohort of parents with newborn children. We have extended the service, so the vast majority of parents are now able to claim child benefit online.”
The process requires the applicants to have their bank details and national insurance number to hand, along with the latter for a partner if they have one, and the child’s birth certificate.
Families with adopted children or whose child’s birth was registered outside the UK can use the online process but will have to send additional information through the post.
HMRC has also provided tips for applicants, including that they create a Government Gateway account, and that they should not share their log-in details with anyone.
App facility
Once a family has applied online they can manage their child benefit through the HMRCC app, including reporting changes in circumstances and updating bank details.
Suzanne Newton, HMRC’s interim director general for transformation, said: “We know how much parents and guardians rely on child benefit to help with essential costs. We’ve made it far easier and quicker for families to claim this crucial help by making it digital.
“Parents and guardians can apply online when it suits them and be paid within days, not weeks.”
