'Significant fall' in claims as South Yorkshire parents 'struggle to register' for child benefit during the pandemic

Anti-poverty campaign group Turn2Us said parents being unable to register their newborns during the pandemic is likely the main cause of the large drop seen across the UK.

HM Revenue and Customs data shows families were receiving the benefit for 12,100 children less than one year old in South Yorkshire as of August last year.

This was 7% fewer than at the same point in 2019, and a bigger drop than the 3% seen the year before.​

The fall among children less than one was the largest of all ages in South Yorkshire.

Across the UK, the number of child benefit claims for infants fell by 9% to 513,445, which was also the biggest decrease of all children up to 19.

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HMRC says lower birth rates may have been a factor, but the previous year's drop in claims for children aged less than one was just 4%.

Many councils paused birth registrations during the pandemic, meaning parents have been unable to obtain a birth certificate which is needed to claim child benefit – the money paid to those responsible for bringing up a child.

Sheffield City Council has been approached for comment.

Though HMRC did allow parents to claim without a birth registration, Turn2Us said this is likely the main reason for the "significant drop" in claims for babies.

Sara Willcocks, head of external affairs at the charity, added: "While child benefit can be backdated up to three months, it is a serious concern that so many new parents might have missed out on hundreds of pounds.

"Over the last decade, child poverty has risen dramatically and we have seen baby banks pop up across the country as so many parents struggle with the costs of raising a child.

"This is why it is vital parents claim all the support they are entitled to."

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Overall, the number of children for whom benefits were being received across the UK fell by just 1% between both 2018 and 2019, and 2019 and 2020.

In South Yorkshire, the figure fell from 280,545 to 278,825 between August 2019 and last year – a drop of 1,720.