You could get Guardian’s Allowance if you’re bringing up a child whose parents have died. You may also be eligible if there’s one surviving parent.

The Guardian’s Allowance rate is £16.35 a week. You get it on top of Child Benefit and it’s tax-free.

You must tell the Guardian’s Allowance Unit about certain changes to your circumstances.

The Guardian Allowance rate is:

• £16.35 a week per child
• tax-free
• paid on top of your Child Benefit payments

How the money is paid

Usually, the money is paid into a bank account every 4 weeks. It can be paid weekly if you're a single parent or getting certain other benefits, eg Income Support.

The money can’t be paid into:

• Child Trust Fund accounts
• children’s accounts
• business and building society accounts that use a passbook
• National Savings and Investments (NS&I) accounts (apart from NS&I Investment Accounts and Direct Saver Accounts)
• some mortgage accounts
• a Nationwide account in someone else's name

ISAs (Individual Savings Accounts) have limits on the amount of money that can be paid into them. It’s recommended you don’t use these for Guardian’s Allowance.

Effect on other benefits

Guardian's Allowance doesn't count as income if you're claiming tax credits, Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance or income related Employment and Support Allowance.

Guardian's Allowance is not affected by the High Income Child Benefit charge. If you decide not to be paid Child Benefit your Guardian’s Allowance can continue.

The benefit cap limits the amount of benefit that most people aged 16 to 64 can get. Some individual benefits aren’t affected, but it may affect the total amount of benefit you get.

Use a benefits calculator to work out what benefits you can get.

To get Guardian’s Allowance all of the following must apply:

• you're bringing up someone else’s child
• the child’s parents are dead (see conditions for one surviving parent below)
• you qualify for Child Benefit
• one of the parents was born in the UK (or was living in the UK since the age of 16 for at least 52 weeks in any 2-year period)

If you adopt a child you may still get Guardian’s Allowance as long as you were getting it before you adopted the child.

One parent survives

You could get Guardian’s Allowance if one of the following is true:

• you don’t know where the surviving parent is
• the parents were divorced or their civil partnership had dissolved, the surviving parent doesn’t have custody and isn’t maintaining the child and there isn't a court order in place saying they should
• the parents weren’t married, the mother has died and the father is unknown
• the surviving parent will be in prison for at least 2 years from the date of death of the other parent
• the surviving parent is in a hospital by court order

Use a benefits calculator to check the benefits you're entitled to.

To avoid losing money, claim Guardian’s Allowance as soon as the child comes to live with you.

1. Download the claim form and guidance notes.

2. Send it to the Guardian's Allowance Unit with the child's birth certificate and the parents' death certificates (or certificate if one parent has died) - send originals.

You should also claim Child Benefit as soon as possible.

The Guardian's Allowance Unit
Child Benefit Office
PO Box 1
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE88 1AA

Guardian's Allowance can be backdated for up to 3 months.

You can also call the Guardian’s Allowance Unit and ask for a claim pack.

Guardian's Allowance Unit
Telephone: 0300 200 3101
Textphone: 0300 200 3103
Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm
Saturday, 8am to 4pm
Find out about call charges

Changes to your circumstances

If your circumstances change, your entitlement to Guardian’s Allowance could be affected or your payments could stop.

You must report changes straight away. You can do this online if:

• the child goes to live with someone else
• you go abroad, either temporarily (for more than 8 weeks), or permanently (for more than 1 year)
• the child leaves full-time education or approved training
• your bank or contact details change
• you find out where the surviving parent is
• the surviving parent comes out of hospital or prison (or has their sentence shortened)
• the surviving parent makes a payment towards their child’s upkeep

You can also report a change of circumstance by phone or post.

Guardian's Allowance Unit
Telephone: 0300 200 3101
Textphone: 0300 200 3103
Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm
Saturday, 8am to 4pm
Find out about call charges

The Guardian's Allowance Unit
Child Benefit Office
PO Box 1
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE88 1AA

Appeals

You can appeal if you're not happy with a decision about your Guardian’s Allowance.