Guardian's Allowance: what it is and how to claim

If you are raising a child whose parents have both died, you may be entitled to Guardian’s Allowance — a tax-free weekly payment from HMRC that is paid on top of your Child Benefit. The current rate is £22.10 per week per child. You do not need to be the child’s legal guardian, and you do not need to be on a low income.

In most cases, both parents must have died. But there are specific exceptions — for example, if one parent is imprisoned or cannot be traced — which are explained below. The benefit is administered by HMRC, not the DWP, and is claimed using a paper form sent to the Guardian’s Allowance Unit.

This guide covers who qualifies, the current rate, how Guardian’s Allowance relates to Child Benefit, how to claim, and how long payments last.

Who can claim Guardian’s Allowance?

To claim Guardian’s Allowance, all of the following must apply:

• You are bringing up someone else’s child
• The child’s parents are dead (or one parent is alive but meets a specific exception — see below)
• You are entitled to Child Benefit for that child

You do not have to be formally appointed as the child’s legal guardian, and you do not need to have adopted the child. If you are caring for the child on a long-term basis — a grandparent, aunt, uncle, older sibling, or family friend — you may still be eligible.

The nationality and residence requirement

At least one of the child’s parents must have:

• Been born in the UK, an EEA country, or Switzerland, or
• Lived in the UK from age 16 for at least 52 weeks in any two-year period

This requirement applies to the parents, not to you as the person claiming. (Source: gov.uk — Guardian’s Allowance eligibility)

When one parent is still alive

The usual rule is that both parents must be dead. However, Guardian’s Allowance can still be paid if one parent survives and one of the following applies:

These exceptions are narrowly defined. A surviving parent who is simply absent, estranged, or living abroad does not automatically qualify you — the prison sentence must be at least two years from the date of the other parent’s death, and an untraceable parent must genuinely be untraceable after reasonable efforts, not simply difficult to contact. (Source: gov.uk — Guardian’s Allowance eligibility)

What if I adopted the child?

If you adopt a child while you are already receiving Guardian’s Allowance, you can keep receiving it. However, you cannot start a fresh Guardian’s Allowance claim after adopting — the entitlement must have begun before the adoption was finalised.

How much is Guardian’s Allowance?

Guardian’s Allowance is currently £22.10 per week per child.

It is entirely tax-free, and it does not count as income for Universal Credit or other means-tested benefits. It is also unaffected by the High Income Child Benefit charge and does not count toward the benefit cap.

Payments are normally made every four weeks directly into your bank account. If you are a single parent, or receive certain other benefits such as Income Support, you can request weekly payments instead.

Rate last verified: March 2026, from gov.uk — Guardian’s Allowance: what you’ll get.

How Guardian’s Allowance relates to Child Benefit

Guardian’s Allowance is paid on top of Child Benefit — it is an addition, not a replacement. You must be entitled to Child Benefit for the child before you can receive Guardian’s Allowance.

If you have opted out of receiving Child Benefit (for example, to avoid the High Income Child Benefit charge), you can still receive Guardian’s Allowance. You do not need to be actively receiving Child Benefit payments — you just need to be entitled to them.

In practice, if you are starting from scratch, claim Child Benefit and Guardian’s Allowance together. The claim form for Guardian’s Allowance (form BG1) is separate from the Child Benefit claim form. You do not need to wait for one to be approved before submitting the other.

For context on how HMRC is notified when a parent dies and what benefits are cancelled or transferred, see our guide to Tell Us Once — the government service that notifies multiple departments about a death in a single step.

How to claim Guardian’s Allowance

Guardian’s Allowance is claimed by post using form BG1. You can download it from the gov.uk publications section or call the Guardian’s Allowance Unit to request a copy be sent to you.

What you need to send

Send the completed BG1 form to the Guardian’s Allowance Unit together with the following original documents (not photocopies):

• The child’s full birth certificate
• Death certificates for both parents (or the one who has died, if claiming under an exception)

You should receive your original documents back after the claim has been processed.

Claim as soon as possible

Claims can be backdated by up to three months. This means that if you wait before claiming, you could lose money that you would otherwise have been entitled to. HMRC’s guidance is clear: claim as soon as the child comes to live with you. (Source: gov.uk — how to claim Guardian’s Allowance)

Contacting the Guardian’s Allowance Unit

You can call the Guardian’s Allowance Unit to request a claim pack, ask questions about your application, or chase a decision. Contact details are available on gov.uk — Guardian’s Allowance.

If you disagree with a decision

If your claim is refused or you receive less than you expected, you can request a mandatory reconsideration. If that is unsuccessful, you have the right to appeal to an independent tribunal.

How long does Guardian’s Allowance last?

Guardian’s Allowance continues as long as:

• You remain entitled to Child Benefit for the child, and
• The child continues to meet the eligibility conditions

Payments normally stop when the child turns 16. If the child stays in full-time non-advanced education (such as A-levels or equivalent) after 16, Child Benefit — and therefore Guardian’s Allowance — can continue until the child turns 20.

“Non-advanced education” means anything below degree level. If the young person goes to university, Guardian’s Allowance stops. If they go to sixth-form college, an FE college, or stay in school sixth form, it continues.

You must tell the Guardian’s Allowance Unit immediately if any of the following happen:

• The child moves out of your home
• The child or you travels outside the UK for more than eight weeks
• You discover that a surviving parent can now be traced
• Any other change that might affect your entitlement

Does Guardian’s Allowance affect other benefits?

Guardian’s Allowance is treated favourably across most benefit calculations:

Universal Credit: Guardian’s Allowance is not counted as income when calculating your Universal Credit entitlement. It is disregarded in full. (Source: gov.uk — Guardian’s Allowance)

Benefit cap: Guardian’s Allowance does not count toward the benefit cap.

High Income Child Benefit charge: Guardian’s Allowance is not affected by the High Income Child Benefit charge, even if you or your partner earn above the threshold. If you have opted out of Child Benefit to avoid the charge, you can still receive Guardian’s Allowance.

Tax credits: If you are receiving Child Tax Credit or Working Tax Credit, Guardian’s Allowance is not counted as income for those calculations either.

Bereavement Support Payment: If you are also a surviving spouse, civil partner, or cohabiting partner of the person who died, you may separately be entitled to Bereavement Support Payment — a lump sum plus 18 monthly payments worth up to £9,800. BSP and Guardian’s Allowance are separate benefits and can be received at the same time.

Widowed Parent’s Allowance: If your partner died before 6 April 2017 and you are entitled to Child Benefit, you may also be receiving Widowed Parent’s Allowance — a weekly payment of £156.65 (2026–27). WPA is paid by the DWP and is separate from Guardian’s Allowance.

Common questions

Can I claim if one parent is still alive?

Yes, in some cases. If the surviving parent is in prison for at least two years from the date the other parent died, cannot be traced despite your reasonable efforts to contact them, or is detained in a hospital under a court order, you may still qualify. If none of these exceptions apply, Guardian’s Allowance cannot be paid while a parent is alive.

What if I am not related to the child?

You do not need to be a blood relative. Guardian’s Allowance can be claimed by any person who is bringing up the child on a long-term basis — a family friend, a neighbour, or anyone else who is caring for the child. The key tests are that you qualify for Child Benefit and that the child’s parents are dead (or a relevant exception applies).

Can I claim Guardian’s Allowance and Bereavement Support Payment at the same time?

Yes. These are separate benefits administered by different departments — Guardian’s Allowance is run by HMRC, while Bereavement Support Payment is administered by the DWP. If you were the partner of one of the deceased parents and are now raising the child, you may be entitled to both. See our guide to Bereavement Support Payment for eligibility details.

Can I backdate my claim?

Yes — by up to three months. If you delay claiming, you cannot recover more than three months of missed payments. Claim as soon as you can after the child comes to live with you.

What if the parents never married or were separated?

The parents’ relationship status is irrelevant — Guardian’s Allowance is based on the child’s parents being dead (or meeting an exception), not on whether they were together. What matters is whether the people named as parents on the birth certificate meet the eligibility conditions.

Key facts summary

• Rate: £22.10 per week per child (2025–26, tax-free)
• Who it is for: People raising a child whose parents have both died (or who meet a specific exception)
• Administered by: HMRC (not the DWP)
• Claim form: BG1 (download from gov.uk or call HMRC to request a pack)
• Backdating: Up to 3 months
• Duration: Until the child turns 16 (or 20 if in full-time non-advanced education)
• Must claim Child Benefit too: Guardian’s Allowance is paid on top of Child Benefit
• Does not affect: Universal Credit, benefit cap, High Income Child Benefit charge

For a full overview of financial support after a bereavement, see our bereavement benefits hub. If you are working through the legal side of the estate, our guide to probate explains when you need it and how the process works.

Rates and eligibility last verified: March 2026, from gov.uk — Guardian’s Allowance.