Child Tax Credit
The Child Tax Credit is designed to provide financial support to families with children, regardless if they are working or not. You are eligible to submit a claim if you or your spouse/partner are financially responsible for at least one child or young person. This child must live with you the majority of the time. Additionally, you are guaranteed some Child Tax Credit if your income is less than £58,000.
Specifically, a claim can be submitted for a child who lives with you until 31 August after their 16th birthday. After this, you can only claim them if they are under 20 and in full-time approved training or non-advanced education. If they leave the program, you may be able to receive an extension of the Child Tax Credit for up to a maximum of 20 weeks after leaving the program.
The Child Tax Credit has several elements that allow for you to receive additional benefits. For instance, if you have a child who has a disability, you can receive an additional £2,715. Also, families who have a new child under one receive an additional £545, even in the case of adoption.
Only one family can claim a Child Tax Credit. Therefore, when a child or young person lives with more than one family, you and that other family must jointly decide who will submit the claim, as this person will receive the tax credit. If you are unable to determine who holds the main responsibility for the child, you can contact the Tax Credits Helpline for assistance.
Your specific Child Tax Credit entitlement will determined after the HMRC receives your claim and calculates your tax credit entitlement. In the mean time, you can get a reasonable estimate of your tax credit entitlement by using a simple and easy online tax credits calculator.