A change this month will disrupt payments for some households.
Bank holidays can disrupt normal Child Benefit payment dates (Image: Getty)
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has confirmed unexpected payments of £108.20 for some UK households claiming Child Benefit from Monday. The payments are due to arrive in bank accounts on a later date than normal as a result of the August summer bank holiday, which is observed at the beginning of the month in Scotland on Monday, August 3.
Child Benefit is usually paid by HMRC every four weeks on either a Monday or a Tuesday, but normal payments can sometimes be disrupted if its due on a bank holiday. For households in Scotland, claimants who are expecting payments on August 3 are instead due to receive it later than normal because of the summer bank holiday. While August payments are issued to claimants on the scheduled day, HMRC says processing times can be affected by bank closures as a result of the bank holiday.
As such, HMRC’s Child Benefit payment timetable for this year confirms that households in Scotland due to be paid on Monday, August 3, can instead expect payments to arrive from Tuesday, August 4, at least one day later than normal.
Similarly, Scottish households expecting a payment on Tuesday, August 4, may also receive it a day later from Wednesday, August 5, because of bank processing times being affected on the bank holiday.
HMRC said that payments can take “up to three working days to clear, and bank holidays during this period may cause a delay”, adding that the exact date households receive payments may vary depending on their specific bank, as some may credit payments sooner than others.
Households in England, Wales and Northern Ireland claiming Child Benefit can also expect payments to be disrupted as a result of the summer bank holiday in August, but this will occur at the end of the month.
In these parts of the UK, the bank holiday is observed on Monday, August 31. HMRC’s payment timetable confirms that households expecting a payment on this date will instead receive it on the earliest working day before on Friday, August 28.
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 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.
As of April 6, 2026, claimants have seen a boost to payments for the 2026/27 tax year as rates have increased by 3.8%, adding an extra £1 per week for the first child and an extra 65p per week for each subsequent child.
This means the weekly rates are now £27.05 per week for the first or eldest child, and £17.90 for any additional children – an annual increase of £52 and £33.80 respectively.
As Child Benefit is paid by HMRC every four weeks, this amounts to £108.20 in each four-week payment period for claimants with one child, while those with more children will get an additional £71.90.
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:
- the child benefit rate for the eldest child will increase from £26.05 to £27.05 per week;
- the child benefit rate for other children will increase from £17.25 to £17.90 per week;
- guardian’s allowance will increase from £22.10 to £22.95 per week.”