There is a different way to claim Child Benefit if all of the following apply:

• you are a currently serving member of the armed forces, or you are the partner of a serving member of the armed forces
• your child’s birth is registered overseas

What you need

To make a claim you will need your:

• current address (including British Forces Post Office (BFPO) addresses), where any updates about your claim will be sent
• National Insurance number, if you have one
• partner’s National Insurance number, if you have a partner
• child’s name, gender and date of birth
• bank or building society details, if you are opting in to Child Benefit payments

How to claim

Call the Child Benefit helpline.

Other ways to claim

If you are unable to call, check other ways to claim Child Benefit — you may be asked to post your child’s original birth certificate and passport if you claim another way.

After you’ve claimed

You will need to send HMRC one of the following (documents issued outside the UK are accepted):

• your child’s original birth certificate, or a ‘certified copy’ (sometimes called an ‘extract’)
• a verified photocopy of your child’s birth certificate or passport

How to get a photocopy verified

Photocopies of your child’s birth certificate or passport can be verified by:

• a Unit Welfare Officer, or an equivalent welfare post
• an officer at least one rank higher in the chain of command

The person verifying the document must:

• add their name, rank and contact phone number

Make sure the information on the document is not covered and is clear to read.

Sending the documents

You need to add a covering letter including:

• the word ‘POSAW’ (this means your claim goes to the right place in HMRC and is not delayed)
• confirmation that the copy has been signed by someone who can verify the documents

Post your copy and covering letter to:

HMRC will verify the document and return it to the address they have registered for you.

If your address changes

You need to tell HMRC if you move address.