Child Benefit calculator
Child Benefit pays a set weekly amount per child. This shows the weekly, four-weekly and yearly figures, then checks the High Income Child Benefit Charge.
An income over £60,000 triggers the High Income Child Benefit Charge. The HICBC escape planner shows the pension contribution that can remove it.
How Child Benefit is worked out
Child Benefit is a fixed amount for each child, not a means-tested payment. The eldest or only child is worth £27.05 a week, and every other child adds £17.90 a week. It is normally paid every four weeks, so the weekly figures above are multiplied by four for the payment that actually lands in your account, and by 52 for the yearly total.
The one income test is the High Income Child Benefit Charge. Once the higher earner’s adjusted net income passes £60,000, a tax charge removes 1% of the Child Benefit for each £200 above that line, removing it entirely at £80,000. It uses the higher of the two parents’ incomes, not the combined figure, which is why two earners each on £55,000 keep the full amount while a single earner on £70,000 loses part of it.
Worked example
Take two children and a higher earner on £45,000. The weekly Child Benefit is £27.05 plus £17.90, so £45 a week and £2,337 across the year. Because £45,000 is below £60,000 there is no charge, so the family keeps the full £2,337. Push the higher income to £70,000 and half of it would be clawed back through the charge, which is where a pension contribution can pay for itself.
Common questions
How much is Child Benefit in 2026/27?
Child Benefit is £27.05 a week for the eldest or only child and £17.90 a week for each additional child. It is usually paid every 4 weeks. For two children that is £44.95 a week, which works out at about £2,337 a year before any High Income Child Benefit Charge.
What is the High Income Child Benefit Charge?
If either parent has an adjusted net income above £60,000 a tax charge claws some Child Benefit back. The charge is 1% of the Child Benefit for every £200 of income over £60,000, so it removes all of it once income reaches £80,000. It is based on the higher earner, not the combined household income.
Should I still claim if I earn over £60,000?
Often yes. Claiming protects your National Insurance credits and secures a National Insurance number for the child, even if the charge cancels out the payment. You can claim and choose not to receive the payments to avoid the charge, while keeping the credits.
Is Child Benefit means-tested?
No. Child Benefit itself is not means-tested and does not depend on savings or most other income. The only income test is the High Income Child Benefit Charge, which is handled separately through the higher earner’s tax rather than by reducing the payment.
Can I avoid the charge by paying into a pension?
Sometimes. Pension contributions and Gift Aid reduce your adjusted net income, which is the figure the charge is based on. Bringing income back below £60,000 removes the charge entirely, so a contribution can be worth more than its headline cost. The HICBC planner works through this.