Prisoners serving a sentence - Child benefits - Serving a sentence

If your child is living with you or is born in prison, you are still entitled to Child Benefit. If someone else is looking after your child while you are in prison, you can transfer Child Benefit to that person.

Child Tax Credit will cease if you are no longer responsible for the child, unless the child is living with you in prison. If someone else is looking after your child, they will need to make their own claim. They won't be able to make a new claim for Child Tax Credit if they aren't already getting it for other children. They should use the Turn2us Benefits Calculator to see if they would be better off making a claim for Universal Credit.

You will not be able to get the child element of Universal Credit while you are in prison. If someone else is looking after your child, they will need to make their own claim.

If your child has no other living parent apart from you, the person looking after your child may be able to claim Guardian's Allowance.

If your child goes to prison for 4 months or less, you will still get Child Tax Credit. You will not continue to get it if your child is sentenced is more than 4 months.