Child Benefit 2018 - What you need to know about child benefit in Ireland

Child Benefit 2018 - What you need to know about child benefit in Ireland

All parents and guardians of children who are under the ages of 16 in Ireland are entitled to claim a child benefit payment from the state.
 
If you have twins the child allowance is paid at one and half times the monthly rate for each child. For triplets and other multiple births then the child benefit payments are paid at double the normal monthly rate for each child.
 
All child benefits are tax free.

How much is the child benefit in Ireland?

Child Benefit is €140 per month for each child.

Child Benefit rates for 2018

How to apply for your child allowance

Birth of your baby
If your baby is born in Ireland, when you register the birth of your baby the DEASP will begin a Child Benefit claim for your child and send you a partially completed claim form for your signature and payment details.
 
If you are already claiming Child Benefit for another child, your new baby is added to your Child Benefit claim and payment begins automatically from the month after the birth. You will be sent a letter confirming payment.
 
In both cases, your new baby will be given a Personal Public Service (PPS) number.
 
If your child is not born in Ireland, or their birth is not registered within the required time (3 months), you must fill in Child Benefit (form CB1) (pdf) and send it to the Child Benefit Section.

Child under 16 years of age
If your baby is born in Ireland and you are not claiming for any other children, the Child Benefit Section will create a new claim and send you a partially completed claim form CB1 (pdf) for your signature and payment details. This form also includes information on how to claim for your new baby online. To apply online, you must have a Public Services Card and a verified MyGovID account. The baby is also given a Personal Public Service (PPS) number.

(Please note that you can only claim online if you are invited to do so by the Department.)

If you are already getting Child Benefit, your new baby is added to your Child Benefit claim and payment begins automatically from the month after the birth. The Department will send you a letter confirming your payment.

If your child is not born in Ireland, or their birth is not registered within the required time (3 months), you must fill in Child Benefit (form CB1) (pdf). You must send this form (CB1) to the Child Benefit Section. 

Children aged 16 and 17
To get Child Benefit for a child aged 16 or 17, fill in Child Benefit (form CB2) (pdf). If you are already getting Child Benefit for this child, the Child Benefit section will send you a partially completed application form to confirm that your child is still in full-time education or training, or has a disability and cannot support themselves. Send your form to the Child Benefit Section.

If this is your first time claiming Child Benefit or you have become a claimant adult in respect of the child(ren), you should make a claim by submitting both application forms, CB1 and CB2.

If you have any difficulty filling in these forms, staff in your Intreo Centre or Social Welfare Branch Office will help you. You can also visit your local Citizens Information Centre for advice and help with form filling.

Rules

You should apply for Child Benefit within 12 months of:

The birth of your baby or
The month the child became a member of your family or
The month your family came to live in Ireland or
The date you started working in Ireland if your child(ren) are living in another EU country
To qualify for Child Benefit, you must satisfy the Habitual Residence Condition. See our document on habitual residence for more information. If you are an EU/EEA citizen working in Ireland, you satisfy the condition. You can read more about Child Benefit and EU regulations below.

Changes in circumstances

You must notify the DEASP in writing of any changes in circumstances which may affect your Child Benefit claim. For example:

Change of address
Child is no longer with you or in your care
Change of post office or other financial institution
Child aged 16 or 17 leaves full-time education
You or your child(ren) leave the State
You or your spouse, civil partner or cohabitant start work in another country
You can use Form CB56 (pdf) to notify the DEASP of any changes to your circumstances.

Child Benefit and EU Regulations

EU/EEA citizens and Swiss nationals working in Ireland satisfy the habitual residence condition for Child Benefit. This is also the case if the worker becomes unemployed and gets Jobseeker's Benefit.

If you are an EU/EEA citizen or a Swiss national and work in a country covered by EU Regulations, the country you work in usually pays Child Benefit even if your family is living in another country. However, if your children are living in another EU/EEA country you should still apply for any Family Benefits you are entitled to there.

If your child(ren) are living in another EU country, you should apply within 12 months of the date that you, your spouse, civil partner or cohabitant started working in Ireland.

You can find out more about Family Benefits and EU Regulations in Part 9 of the EU Guidelines on the DEASP's website. You can also contact the Child Benefit Section for more information on how EU rules affect Child Benefit - see 'Where to apply' below.

Countries covered by EU Regulations are: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom (excluding the Channel Islands).

Non-EU/EEA citizens

Non-EU/EEA citizens must be habitually resident in Ireland to quality for Child Benefit. If you are a non-EU/EEA citizen and legally working in this State, you may qualify for Child Benefit if your child is also resident here or in another EU state. More information is available in our document on habitual residence.

Fraudulent claims for Child Benefit
Penalties for false or misleading statements made to obtain Child Benefit for you, or for any other person, include prosecution leading to a fine, a prison term, or both.

For more information contact

Child Benefit Section

Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection
Social Welfare Services Office
St Oliver Plunkett Road
Letterkenny
Co. Donegal
F92 T449 

Opening Hours: You can only contact this office by email or telephone. 
Tel: (074) 916 4496 (If calling from outside the Republic of Ireland please call + 353 74 916 4496) 
Locall: 1890 400 400 (Note: the rates charged for using 1890 (Lo-call) numbers may vary) 
Homepage: http://www.welfare.ie 

Source: http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/social_welfare/social_welfare_payments/social_welfare_payments_to_families_and_children/child_benefit.html#ld1a9a