Child benefit not paid: HMRC child benefit office contact phone number 2024 - why are payments delayed today?

HMRC has confirmed there is an issue after thousands of parents reported missing benefits payments.

Complaints began over the weekend when recipients noticed they had not received child benefit payments, and initially, HMRC denied any issues. But on Monday morning (3 June), the department apologised and said it is working urgently to resolve the issue.

An HMRC spokesperson said: “We’re sorry that some customers’ child benefit payments have not arrived as scheduled and we are working urgently to resolve the issue. The issues that caused payment problems today will not impact payments scheduled for tomorrow.”

Around 30% of child benefit payments scheduled for Monday were not made – equating to around 500,000 people being affected.

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Many expressed frustration over the delay, taking to social media to voice their concerns, where a HMRC representative acknowledged the problem but said that the cause was still unknown.

People who have been left out of pocket may want to complain to HMRC, which has a complaints section on its website at gov.uk/government/organisations/hm-revenue-customs/contact/complain-about-hmrc.

The HMRC helpline contact number for child benefit inquiries is 0300 200 3100. However, due to the high volume of calls related to this issue, it might be difficult to get through. Some people have reported attempting to call HMRC up to 30 times without success.

Given that HMRC has acknowledged the problem and many people are trying to call, it might be more practical to wait for official updates or resolutions before attempting to contact them.

This approach can help reduce the call volume and allow HMRC to focus on resolving the issue more efficiently.

Child benefit is available to those responsible for raising a child under 16, or under 20 if they remain in approved education or training. It is usually paid every four weeks on a Monday or a Tuesday.

Only one person can claim the benefit per child, but there is no limit to the number of children for whom benefits can be claimed. Payments are typically made every four weeks, with the option for weekly payments.

As of August 2023, 6.91 million families were in receipt of child benefit payments. The weekly child benefit allowance is generally £25.60 for an eldest or only child and £16.95 per child for additional children.