Young People and benefits - Young people with a child

You should qualify for Child Benefit as there is no minimum age limit to claim this. 

You may be able to get Universal Credit if you are aged at least 16 and are responsible for a child. You may be able to claim Universal Credit if you are at least 29 weeks pregnant (but not if you are a care leaver). You may be able to claim Universal Credit if you had a baby or your baby was stillborn in the past 15 weeks (but not if you are a care leaver).

It is no longer possible to make new claims for Child Tax Credit, but if you are already getting it you may be able to carry on getting it as long as you carry on meeting the conditions of entitlement.

If you live with your family it would be a good idea to speak to an adviser before making any claims for benefits for your child.

There are a range of other benefits and assistance available for people with children which you may qualify for depending on your circumstances – see our Expecting a Child section and our Bringing up a Child section for more information.

Updated: April 2019