Child Benefit is easy to dismiss if you think you earn too much to qualify.
But that’s not how it works.
You can claim Child Benefit whatever you earn. The complication for higher earners is the High Income Child Benefit Charge (HICBC), which can mean some or all the benefit is effectively paid back.
For Police Officers and Staff, that can make things particularly worth checking.
The HICBC starts to apply when the higher earner in a household has adjusted net income above £60,000.
That is not necessarily the same as your headline salary.
Overtime, allowances and income from other sources can increase your adjusted net income. On the other hand, qualifying pension contributions and some other reliefs can reduce it.
So, if your earnings are around the threshold, it is worth understanding the figure HMRC uses rather than assuming you are either safely below it or definitely above it.
Another important point is that HICBC is not calculated using your combined household income.
A household where two people each earn £55,000 is treated differently from one where one person earns £85,000 and the other £25,000, despite the total household income being the same.
That distinction can be especially relevant in police households where both partners are working.
Even if some or all the of Child Benefit would later be clawed back, maintaining a claim can still matter.
For example, if one partner is not working or has reduced their hours to care for a child under 12, claiming Child Benefit may help them build National Insurance credits towards their State Pension.
You can also make a claim and choose not to receive the payments.
Child Benefit normally continues until a child turns 16, but it can continue until their 20th birthday if they remain in approved education or training.
And for retired police officers, who may leave service comparatively young, Child Benefit can still be relevant if they remain responsible for an eligible child.