HM Revenue and Customers (HMRC) will be sending unexpected early payments of £179.80 payments to eligible UK households claiming Child Benefit before June. The earlier than normal payment comes due to the spring bank holiday at the end of May, which may disrupt usual payments for some claimants. HMRC has already issued early Child Benefit payments to households this month ahead of the early May bank holiday on May 4, and with a second bank holiday falling at the end of the month, it means Child Benefit payments will again be disrupted before returning to normal in June.
Child Benefit can be claimed by parents or guardians who are responsible for raising a child under the age of 16, or under 20 if they stay in approved education or training. Payments are issued by HMRC to claimants every four weeks on either a Monday or a Tuesday, but as the spring bank holiday falls on Monday, May 25, it means some claimants will receive their payment three days earlier than normal this month.
If a Child Benefit payment is due on a bank holiday, HMRC will instead issue the payment on the earliest working day before. This meaas that claimants who are expecting to receive their payment on Monday, May 25, will instead receive it on Friday, May 22.
HMRC said: “Child Benefit is usually paid every 4 weeks on a Monday or Tuesday. There are different payment dates if it’s due on a bank holiday.
“You can work out when you’re next going to get Child Benefit by counting 4 weeks forward from your last payment. Do not count forward if your payment was due on a bank holiday – the dates are different.
“Your payment might be delayed if the bank is closed for a public holiday on the day HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) pays you. Check with your bank for the date you’ll get your payment.”
Child Benefit claimants will also receive a higher payment in May as rates have been uplifted for the 2026/27 tax year. As of April 6, the weekly payment rate for the eldest or only child has now increased from £26.05 to £27.05, while the weekly rate for each additional child has gone up from £17.25 to £17.90.
Under the new rates, parents with one child will get payments of £108.20 every four weeks (up from £104.20), while those with additional children will get £71.60 every four weeks (up from £69).
It means that parents with two children under the age of 16 (or under 20 if they’re in approved education or training) will now get Child Benefit payments worth £179.80 every four weeks from HMRC.
Confirming the 3.8% payment uplift for Child Benefit last year, James Murray, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, said: “The Tax Credits Act 2002 and Social Security Administration Act 1992 place a statutory duty on His Majesty’s Treasury to review the rates of child benefit each year in line with the general level of prices.
“There is a further statutory duty on the Treasury to increase guardian’s allowance in line with price growth. I have now concluded the review for the tax year 2026-27.
“I have decided to increase child benefit rates in line with the consumer prices index for the year to September 2025, which is 3.8%. Guardian’s allowance will also increase by the same rate. This means that, from 6 April 2026:
