Child Benefit: Some people will get payments early this month – will you?

Child Benefit is available to parents and guardians of a child under the age of 16, or under the age of 20 if they are in education or training. Families with an income of below £60,000 are entitled to £21.05 for their eldest or only child. This figure is lowered to £13.95 for any additional children.

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  • Thousands of parents could be eligible for child benefits

These amounts are an increase of 1.7 percent in line with the start of the new tax year. 

However, those who have one parent or guardian on a salary of over £50,100, pay progressive tax.

This means any income over £60,000 is taxed at 100 percent. 

Child Benefit is usually paid every four weeks, on a Monday or a Tuesday.

However, because of holidays which fall this month, people may be able to receive the payment from the government at an earlier date. 

In 2020, the Easter bank holidays have fallen on either side of the Easter weekend.

This means Good Friday is on April 10, and Easter Monday on April 13.

As a consequence, Britons will not be able to receive any payments on these dates.

Because Child Benefit is paid on a Monday or Tuesday, April 13 is the date to keep in mind.

If your Child Benefit payment was due to hit your bank account on this day, you will receive your payment on Thursday, April 9.

This is because April 9 is the last working day before the Easter bank holidays. 

Britons have also been given more advice on their Child Benefit entitlements this month.

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As the country is now in the midst of a coronavirus crisis, many people have found themselves out of work or furloughed because of widespread business closures.

However, for those who have faced a reduction in their income, Child Benefit could be a useful solution to a drop in cash flow.

If earnings and profits of your household fall below £60,000 in the new 2020/21 tax year, you could be eligible for tax-free Child Benefit.

Under the government setup, a two-child family could receive £1,819 per year in tax-free benefits. 

But this can only be backdated for three months, so parents and guardians have been urged to act quickly. 

Those who believe they are entitled have been told to use the CH2 form on the gov.uk website.

The Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, has faced recent calls to increase the level of Child Benefit due to the coronavirus outbreak.

More than forty leading groups in Scotland have written to the Treasury to ask for an increase of £10 a week per child.

It is believed the slight increase will assist families who may be struggling amid the pandemic. 

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