Child Benefit Rates History - Every Rate Since 1977
From £1.00/week in 1977 to £27.05/week in 2026-27. Nearly 50 years of Child Benefit rate history.
Key Policy Milestones
Real-Terms Value
In 1977, £1.00 had significantly more purchasing power than today. Adjusted for inflation (CPI), £1.00 in 1977 is roughly equivalent to £7-8 in 2026 money. The real value of Child Benefit has increased substantially since its introduction, but the freeze period of 2010-2016 meant a significant real-terms cut during that time.
The 2023-24 rate increase of +10.1% was the largest single-year increase in decades, designed to partly compensate for the freeze period in the context of high inflation.
Full Historical Rates Table
| Tax Year | First Child | Additional Children | Change | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 | £27.05 | £17.90 | +3.8% | Current rates |
| 2025-26 | £26.05 | £17.25 | +3.7% | |
| 2024-25 | £25.60 | £16.95 | +6.9% | |
| 2023-24 | £24.00 | £15.90 | +10.1% | |
| 2022-23 | £21.80 | £14.45 | 0% | |
| 2021-22 | £21.15 | £14.00 | 0% | |
| 2020-21 | £21.05 | £13.95 | 0% | |
| 2019-20 | £20.70 | £13.70 | +1.7% | |
| 2018-19 | £20.70 | £13.70 | 0% | |
| 2017-18 | £20.70 | £13.70 | 0% | |
| 2016-17 | £20.70 | £13.70 | 0% | |
| 2015-16 | £20.70 | £13.70 | 0% | |
| 2014-15 | £20.50 | £13.55 | 0% | |
| 2013-14 | £20.30 | £13.40 | 0% | HICBC introduced at £50k |
| 2012-13 | £20.30 | £13.40 | +1.5% | |
| 2011-12 | £20.30 | £13.40 | +2% | |
| 2010-11 | £20.30 | £13.40 | +0.9% | |
| 2009-10 | £20.00 | £13.20 | +5% | |
| 2008-09 | £18.80 | £12.55 | +3.5% | |
| 2007-08 | £18.10 | £12.10 | +3.4% | |
| 2006-07 | £17.45 | £11.70 | +5% | |
| 2005-06 | £17.00 | £11.40 | +3% | |
| 2004-05 | £16.50 | £11.05 | +3.1% | |
| 2003-04 | £16.05 | £10.75 | +6.7% | |
| 2002-03 | £15.75 | £10.55 | +5.7% | |
| 2001-02 | £15.50 | £10.35 | +16% | Large increase |
| 2000-01 | £15.00 | £10.00 | +15.4% | |
| 1999-00 | £14.40 | £9.60 | +20% | |
| 1998-99 | £11.45 | £9.30 | 0% | |
| 1997-98 | £11.05 | £9.00 | 0% | |
| 1996-97 | £10.80 | £8.80 | +3.8% | |
| 1995-96 | £10.40 | £8.45 | 0% | |
| 1994-95 | £10.20 | £8.25 | +2% | |
| 1993-94 | £10.00 | £8.10 | 0% | |
| 1992-93 | £9.65 | £7.80 | +1.6% | Separate rates from 1991 |
| 1991-92 | £9.65 (eldest) | £7.80 | N/A | |
| 1990-91 | £7.25 (all) | £7.25 | +4.3% | |
| 1985-86 | £7.00 (all) | £7.00 | ||
| 1982-83 | £5.85 (all) | £5.85 | ||
| 1979-80 | £4.00 (all) | £4.00 | ||
| 1977-78 | £1.00 (all) | £1.00 | N/A | Child Benefit launched |
Pre-1991 rates are for all children (no separate first/additional distinction existed). Some intermediate years in the 1980s have been omitted for brevity; rates increased gradually in most years.
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