Tiny humans, big costs
Lesson 9 of 14 in our free Relationships, Family & Money guide: a 5-minute money game with the key points below.
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Questions you'll answer
Child Benefit for one child is £27.05 a week. Roughly how much is that over a year (52 weeks)?
A parent earns £70,000. What happens with Child Benefit?
Quick facts
- Fact: “It can be worth claiming Child Benefit even if you'd pay it all back, because a non-working parent can get National Insurance credits.” — Claiming (even if you opt out of the payments) can protect a stay-at-home parent's State Pension record.
- Myth: “Every baby item needs to be bought brand new.” — Lots of things are fine second-hand. Safety exceptions: a new cot mattress is usually advised, and check car seats carefully.
- Fact: “From April 2026 the two-child limit on Universal Credit was removed.” — UC child elements can now be paid for every child, though the overall benefit cap still applies.