how much is child benefit per child

Child Benefit is a UK payment, and the rate is set per child but differs for the first child and any additional children.

Current Child Benefit rates

For the UK (excluding any devolved top-ups like Scottish Child Payment, which is separate):

• Eldest / only child: £25.60 per week.

• Each additional child: £16.95 per week.

You are paid every 4 weeks in most cases, so that usually comes to:

• About £102.40 every 4 weeks for your first child.

• About £67.80 every 4 weeks for each extra child.

Important income rule

• If you or your partner have an individual income over £60,000 a year, you may have to pay back some or all of your Child Benefit through the High Income Child Benefit Charge.

• You can still claim to protect National Insurance credits towards your State Pension, even if you choose not to receive the payments because of this charge.

Quick UK vs “child tax credit” note

• Child Benefit is a weekly cash payment per child, as above.

• The Child Tax Credit / Child Tax Credit-style support you may read about (for example, in the US) is a separate scheme: there, the current federal Child Tax Credit is up to about $2,200 per qualifying child for 2025–2026, but that is a tax credit , not a weekly benefit.

If you tell which country you are in, a country‑specific breakdown (and any 2026 changes) can be given for your exact situation.