HMRC gives Child Benefit claimants 'automatic' increase of at least £83 from this month

Parents claiming Child Benefit will see an automatic increase to their payments this week.

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) introduced new rates for the financial support on Saturday, April 6, after the government announced last year that benefits would rise by 6.7 per cent in line with inflation.

According to the government department, claimants generally get paid every four weeks on a Monday or Tuesday which means many could see higher payments today.

Read more: New HMRC Child Benefit rates for April as rule change means thousands more parents eligible

Families with one child will see an annual increase of £83.20 and an extra £54.60 for an additional child. Families with ongoing claims do not need to contact HMRC to get the increase as it will be paid automatically.

Angela MacDonald, HMRC’s Deputy Chief Executive and Second Permanent Secretary, said: "The increase in Child Benefit rates for existing claimants is automatic and families do not need to contact us. New claimants should apply online or using HMRC’s app. Search ‘child benefit’ on GOV.UK for more information."

Weekly rate of HMRC Child Benefit:

HMRC is encouraging parents with a newborn baby to make a claim online as soon as they can as they could get their first payment in as few as three days. Child Benefit can also be backdated by as much as three months.

It comes as the government increased the High Income Child Benefit Charge (HICBC) so that fewer people on a higher income have to pay back their Child Benefit payments.

Laura Trott, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, said: "We are ending the unfairness in the child benefit system, and as a result 170,000 families will no longer have to pay back child benefit, and nearly half a million families will save