The Child Benefit Charge Between £60,000 and £80,000, and How to Keep More
Earn over £60,000 and you start paying back Child Benefit, 1% for every £200. How the charge works, a table by income, and why pension contributions are the easiest fix.
By the MoneyBackKit UK team · Updated 16 October 2026 · 5 min read
If you earn a little over £60,000, Child Benefit can feel like a trap: the more you earn, the more of it you hand back. It's called the High Income Child Benefit Charge, and once you see how it works, there are a couple of legal ways to keep more of the money.
How much Child Benefit is in 2026/27
- £27.05 a week for your eldest (or only) child.
- £17.90 a week for each other child.
- For two children that's about £2,337 a year.
How the charge works
If either parent's “adjusted net income” is over £60,000, the higher earner pays back 1% of the Child Benefit for every £200 above that line. At £80,000 the charge equals the whole benefit. It's paid through Self Assessment, or your tax code.
| Higher earner's adjusted net income | Charge | You keep (2 children) |
|---|---|---|
| £60,000 | 0% (£0) | £2,337 |
| £65,000 | 25% (£584) | £1,753 |
| £70,000 | 50% (£1,168) | £1,169 |
| £75,000 | 75% (£1,753) | £584 |
| £80,000 | 100% (£2,337) | £0 |
In this band every extra £200 you earn costs you 40% income tax, 2% National Insurance and about £23 of Child Benefit. With two children, the real tax rate on that slice is well over 50%.
The easiest fix: pay more into your pension
Pension contributions lower your adjusted net income. Take someone on £70,000 with two children:
Child Benefit kept a year
Putting an extra £5,000 into a pension (through salary sacrifice, or a personal pension where you claim the higher-rate relief) brings their income down to £65,000. They keep £584 more Child Benefit, on top of the tax relief on the contribution. Gift Aid donations reduce adjusted net income in the same way.
Should you still claim if you earn over £80,000?
- Usually yes, and tick the box to not be paid. That avoids the charge entirely.
- It protects National Insurance credits for a parent who isn't working, which count toward their State Pension.
- It makes sure your child gets a National Insurance number automatically before they turn 16.