Not all parents are aware of their Child Benefit Entitlement

Parents are confused by their entitlement to state benefits, figures from LV=’s 13th Cost of a Child study finds.

According to their findings, 49 per cent of parents are so confused by the various state benefits that they don’t make a claim despite being eligible.

Parents who earn less than £60,000 a year currently qualify for Child Benefit. This comes to £1.076 a year for the first child.

Currently, 76 per cent of parents are eligible to claim, but only 61 per cent of those are actually claiming it.

Spokesperson for LV= , Myles Rix said: “It’s worrying that so many parents are confused by the system and aren’t taking advantage of the support they’re entitled to. We urge parents to think about putting a financial safety net in place to help them if they’re unable to work, as while state benefits are important they are not guaranteed and often only provide the most basic support.

“With the introduction of Universal Credit bringing yet more changes, the Government should focus on making it easier for parents and financial advisers to understand what support is available, and not penalise those parents who have protected themselves.”