Backdated child benefit

sasha191

Hello
when my first daughter was born 9 years ago I wrongly believed that I was not eligible for child benefit. I’ve read various articles (on other sites) that talk about backdated claims. Can I put in a claim now for the years (2014-2016) that I was eligible for the benefit? 

Scorpio33

You can only go back 3 months.

https://www.gov.uk/child-benefit/how-to-claim

rach_k

If the reason you aren't eligible now is because your partner earns over the threshold but you don't work (e.g. if you're stay at home parent) or you earn less than £242 per week, you should still put in the application for child benefit.  You can indicate on the form that you don't want the payment, to avoid having to pay it back later.  Even if you don't claim the money, you will earn National Insurance credits if you aren't paying NI - it counts towards your state pension and you will get it for each year you have a child under 12.  It is definitely worth doing as you might not get your full state pension if you haven't paid NI for enough years when you retire.  Claiming will also mean your children get their NI numbers automatically instead of having to apply.  

I can't see anything about it on the HMRC website but I read elsewhere that NI credit claims can be backdated for longer than child benefit claims.  I would definitely give it a try if you think you may be eligible, and claim for the remaining years until your youngest child is 12, if you're not paying NI at the moment.