Child Benefit if a child or parent dies

If a child dies 

You will usually get Child Benefit for eight weeks after the child dies. If they would have had their 20th birthday before the eight weeks are up, Child Benefit will stop on the following Monday. 

If you have already claimed 

You will need to tell the Child Benefit Office as soon as possible if a child dies if you are getting Child Benefit. 

You can do this either: 

You must include the date of death. 

The Child Benefit Office will let other parts of HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) know, so you only have to get in touch with HMRC once. 

If you have not claimed yet 

If the child died before you sent a claim form, you can still send one (unless the child was stillborn). 

How to claim 

  1. Make a claim for Child Benefit. 

  2. Attach a note with the date of the child’s death. 

  3. Put your contact details and National Insurance number on the note. 

  4. Send the child’s birth or adoption certificate with your claim form (you don’t have to send their death certificate). 

If you do not have the child’s birth or adoption certificate, you can order a new one and send it in later. 

If your child died before the end of the week they were born in, the eight weeks will start from the Monday following the death. 

Child Benefit can only be backdated for up to three months. The longer you leave your claim, the less you will get. 

If you opted out of receiving Child Benefit 

You still need to tell the Child Benefit Office as soon as possible if a child eligible for Child Benefit dies. 

You can do this either: 

You must include the date of death. 

You won’t have to pay the High Income Child Benefit tax charge on any Child Benefit received after the child dies. 

See also 

For further information