Guardian's Allowance

Applies to: England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland

Who does it help?

Guardian’s Allowance is a tax-free benefit paid by the Child Benefit Office. You can claim it if you look after a child who is not your own (biologically or by adoption), for example, a child:

who is an orphan, or
whose surviving parent is missing, or
whose surviving parent is in prison, or
whose adoptive parent has died.

You can only get it if you get Child Benefit for the child.

Is it means-tested?

Guardian's Allowance does not depend on your income or savings.

What help does the benefit provide?

Guardian’s Allowance is money that you can spend as you want. It comes with your Child Benefit.

How much does it pay?

Guardian’s Allowance is paid at the rate of £14.75 each week for each child.

Is it a taxable benefit?

Guardian's Allowance is not a taxable benefit.

How to claim

You can claim Guardian’s Allowance on form BG1, which you can get from the Child Benefit Office, HM Revenue and Customs enquiry centres or benefit offices. You can also get a copy of the claim form (link opens in a new window) from the HMRC website.

If you have not already claimed Child Benefit, you should claim this at the same time as Guardian’s Allowance.
You may be able to make a backdated claim for Guardian's Allowance, for up to three months. Sometimes they can backdate it to the point you started to qualify for Child Benefit. You do not have to give reasons for making a later claim.

Documents you need

You will have to give your national insurance number and evidence of identity, for example, a passport or driving licence. You also need to provide the birth certificate of each child (originals, not photocopies) and where the child’s parents have died, the death certificate(s) of the parents.