Thousands Left Without Child Benefit Payment Due to Technical Glitch at HMRC

About half a million individuals have been impacted by a technical issue at HMRC, resulting in the non-payment of their Child Benefit. The tax agency revealed that a batch processing glitch led to around 30% of Monday’s scheduled payments not being processed, leaving many families without the crucial financial support until Wednesday.

Many parents took to social media to express their frustration, highlighting the difficulties they faced in purchasing essential items such as food or covering their child’s transportation costs. HMRC urged affected individuals not to contact them directly and assured that updates would be provided through social media channels as soon as possible.

Since April, parents have been eligible to receive £25.60 weekly for their first child and £16.95 for subsequent children, with the full benefit available to those earning up to £60,000 annually. The payments, typically issued every four weeks, are subject to income thresholds, with total cessation at £80,000 earnings.

One mother, Laura from Sussex, shared her experience with the BBC, detailing how the missing payment has caused significant financial strain, forcing her to borrow money to cover essential expenses like TV licence payments and her children’s school fees. The uncertainty surrounding the issue has left many recipients anxiously awaiting resolution.

Individuals eligible for Child Benefit include those responsible for raising a child under 16, or up to 20 if the child is pursuing accredited education or training. While only one parent can receive the benefit per child, there is no cap on the number of children eligible for support.

HMRC issued an apology for the disruption, stating they have rectified the problem and implemented measures to prevent reoccurrence. Affected parties can expect their delayed payments on Wednesday morning and are encouraged to file complaints online if seeking redress for any financial losses incurred.

As of August, 6.91 million families were receiving Child Benefit payments, underscoring the scale of those reliant on this crucial financial assistance.