The following details of benefits available for children in the UK are believed to be correct at the time of writing. Please check www.dwp.gov.uk to confirm the current legislation.
Child Benefit  


Child Benefit is a benefit for people bringing up children. It is paid for each child and is not affected by income or savings. If you are bringing up a child who is aged under 16, is under 19 and studying full-time up to A level, NVQ level 3 or equivalent, is under 18 and has registered for work, or is training with the Careers Service or Connexion Service if there is one in your area and is actively seeking a job or a training place, you can claim Child Benefit.

You do not have to be the child's parent to get Child Benefit. You may get Child Benefit if you pay towards bringing up a child who does not live with you and no one else is claiming the benefit for them.

Claim as soon as your child is born or comes to live with you. If you delay, you may lose benefit. Get a claim pack from your social security office or by ringing the Child Benefit Centre on 08701 555 540. If your child has just been born, you may receive a claim pack with your Bounty Pack from the hospital.

You can download a Child Benefit claim form in PDF format from www.dwp.gov.uk. The form does not apply in Northern Ireland.

Child Support  
  Child Support provides help with the cost of bringing up a child if one of the child's parents are living somewhere else in the United Kingdom (UK), or working for a UK based employer.

If you are bringing up a child who has a parent living somewhere else in the UK, or working abroad for a UK based employer or claiming Income Support or income based Jobseeker's Allowance, then you can apply for a child support maintenance assessment. (If a child living in Scotland is aged 12 or over and has at least one parent living apart from them in the UK, they may be able to get Child Support Maintenance for themselves. They can only do this if there is no court order or written maintenance agreement in force from before 5 April 1993, and no one else has applied for Child Support Maintenance for them.)

If you are claiming Income Support or JSA you may be required to make an application for Child Support Maintenance. You may not have to apply if there is a risk of harm or undue distress to you or children who live with you. Even if you do not claim Income Support or income-based JSA, you may still be able to get Child Support Maintenance. You may be able to get a Child Maintenance Bonus if you stop getting Income Support or income-based JSA because you start a job. The amount you get will depend on the income of the parent who does not live with the child.

Apply straight away. If you delay you may lose money. Contact the Child Support Agency National Enquiry Line for an application form on: 0845 7 133 133 or contact your local social security office.
Invalid Care Allowance  
 

If you are caring for a child who is ill or disabled you may be entitled to Invalid Care Allowance. Invalid Care Allowance is paid to full-time carers· Your other benefits may increase or decrease and certain benefits for the person you look after may sometimes reduce

You can get it if you are aged 16 or over and under 65 and spending at least 35 hours a week looking after someone who is getting or waiting to hear about Attendance Allowance, Disability Living Allowance at the middle or highest rate for personal care, Disablement Benefit or Constant Attendance Allowance. You cannot get ICA if you are in full-time education or if you earn above a certain amount.

Claim straight away. If you delay you may lose benefit. Contact your local Benefits office. You can download Invalid Care Allowance forms in PDF format from www.dwp.gov.uk. The forms come with notes that will help you fill it in and tell you where to send the completed form. The form does not apply in Northern Ireland.

Disability Living Allowance  
 

If you are bringing up a child who is ill or disabled you may be entitled to Disability Living Allowance for children under age 16. You can claim DLA for a child with a severe physical or mental illness or disability if they need much more help or looking after than other children of the same age because of their illness or disability.

You can get it if the child is aged 3 months or over and generally needs extra help or looking after, aged 3 or over and has severe difficulty walking or aged 5 years or over and needs extra help getting around out of doors
You can claim DLA before the child is aged 3 months, but DLA will not be paid before the child reaches age 3 months unless they are terminally ill.

Claim straight away. If you delay you may lose benefit.Contact your social security office for a claim form. You can download Disability Living Allowance forms in PDF format from www.dwp.gov.uk. The forms come with notes that will help you fill it in and tell you where to send the completed form. The form does not apply in Northern Ireland.

Free milk for disabled children  
 

If you have a child aged between 5 and 16 who is unable to attend school because of a physical or mental illness or disability you may be eligible for Free milk for disabled children. This means that if you have a child with a physical or mental disability, you may be able to get free milk for them.

If you have a child aged 5 or over and under 16 who cannot attend school because of a physical or mental disability, you can claim. You do not need to get any benefits to qualify for free milk for disabled children.

Claim straight away. If you delay you may lose benefit. Get form FW20 from the Disability Benefits Unit Room A112 Lobby D Warbreck House Warbreck Hill Road Blackpool FY2 0YE.