Households across the UK can expect surprise payments from HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) arriving this Tuesday and Wednesday, with amounts reaching up to £180. These payments relate to Child Benefit, provided by the government’s tax authority, and are usually disbursed every four weeks on a Monday or Tuesday.
However, due to a substitute bank holiday in Northern Ireland on Monday, July 13 – commemorating the Battle of the Boyne (Orangemen’s Day) – HMRC will pay Child Benefit early in this region. Instead of the usual Monday schedule, payments will be made on Tuesday, July 14 or Wednesday, July 15.
The payments vary depending on the number of children: £110 every four weeks for households with one child, or £180 for those with two children. HMRC explains that when payments fall on a bank holiday, the payment dates adjust accordingly.
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For eligible individuals, like single parents or those receiving certain benefits such as Income Support, Child Benefit can be paid weekly. To confirm your payment schedule, HMRC advises checking your award notice and counting forward in four-week intervals from your initial payment date. Note that new claimants, particularly those recently arriving in the UK, may wait up to 12 weeks for their first payment, which will be backdated for up to three months.
HMRC also advises beneficiaries not to count forward four weeks if the payment date coincides with a bank holiday, as payment dates will differ.
To verify payments, look for a reference starting with ‘HMRC Child Benefit’—an 18-character code—on your bank statement or access your payment history online, which displays up to five previous payments.
In a recent statement, James Murray, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, confirmed an upcoming increase in Child Benefit rates for the 2026-27 tax year. This adjustment, aligned with a 3.8% rise in the consumer prices index up to September 2025, will also apply to Guardian’s Allowance. Murray emphasized the statutory duty of His Majesty’s Treasury to review and increase these payments annually to keep pace with inflation.