If I claim without the certificate, do I still get the 3-month backdate?

GOV.UK says a successful claim is still backdated for up to 3 months from the date you make the claim, including when you claimed without the certificate.

What if HMRC asks for the certificate and I ignore the letter?

GOV.UK: if you do not send the certificate when asked, you may need to start the claim again. A new claim has a new received date for backdate.

The birth was registered in Scotland. Do I post the certificate?

The official CH2 notes say no: tell HMRC the district number, year and entry number from the top of the certificate. If you do not have those numbers yet, use GOV.UK's claim-without-the-certificate route.

The baby was born outside the UK. Can I still claim today?

Yes. GOV.UK says if you do not have the certificate you need, make a claim now and send it once you have it. The documents list is the original certificate plus the passport or travel document used to enter the UK.

Guides · Childcare money · Child Benefit

Can I claim Child Benefit without a birth certificate?

Updated 10 September 2026 · Checked 10 September 2026 · By MayTally research desk — Checked against official UK sources

Can I send the claim before the certificate arrives?

Yes. GOV.UK's how to claim page has a dedicated block: you can still claim without a birth or adoption certificate. It takes longer. You may be asked to send the certificate as proof after you have registered. If you do not send it when asked, you may need to start the claim again. If the claim succeeds, it is still backdated for up to 3 months from the date you make it.

The CH2 notes (updated 6 April 2026) say the same in the other direction: make the claim now even if you do not have all your documents, because Child Benefit can only be backdated for up to 3 months, then send the documents as soon as you can.

Waiting for the certificate is how people push more weeks outside the 3-month backdate. GOV.UK's own order is claim now, send the certificate once you have it.

Do England, Wales and Scotland claims need the paper certificate posted?

Often no — they need details printed on the certificate. The official CH2 form and notes (GOV.UK publication updated 6 April 2026) say: do not send a birth certificate if the birth was registered in England, Wales or Scotland, because HMRC can check the birth information. Instead you type identifiers from the certificate.

Swipe sideways for the full table

What the official claim form asks for, by where the birth was registered
Where the birth was registered	Do you post the certificate?	What the CH2 notes ask you to type
England or Wales	No — HMRC can check the birth information	The 9-digit system number at the bottom left of the birth certificate
Scotland	No — HMRC can check the birth information	District number, year and entry number from the top of the certificate
Northern Ireland	Yes — send a birth certificate for each child on the claim	The documents list on the CH2 form
Outside the UK	Yes — original birth or adoption certificate, plus the passport or travel document used to enter the UK	GOV.UK how-to-claim: if the only ID is an eVisa, HMRC checks it; you do not need a share code

CH2 form and CH2 notes on GOV.UK (publication last updated 6 April 2026) and GOV.UK how-to-claim, all checked on 10 September 2026. Documents you send are usually returned in 4 weeks (GOV.UK).

If you do not have those numbers yet because the certificate has not arrived, you are in the GOV.UK 'claim without the certificate' route: the claim takes longer, and HMRC may ask you to send the certificate later.

How do I claim without the certificate, or replace a lost one?

Start the claim on GOV.UK or the HMRC app Do not wait for the paper. Use how to claim. Have bank details and National Insurance numbers ready if you have them.
If you have the certificate, type the official numbers England or Wales: 9-digit system number, bottom left. Scotland: district number, year and entry number at the top. That is the CH2 notes route — you are not posting the certificate.
If the certificate is lost, order a replacement and still claim now England and Wales: order a copy from the GRO. GOV.UK (checked 10 September 2026): standard copies cost £12.50 and are sent 4 days after you apply; a search without a GRO index reference adds £3.50 and takes 15 working days; priority is £38.50. Scotland and Northern Ireland have a different process on that same GOV.UK page.
If the birth was outside the UK, claim now and send the documents when you have them GOV.UK: original birth or adoption certificate, plus the passport or travel document used to enter the UK. If you do not have the certificate yet, make the claim now and send it once you have it.
If HMRC later asks for the certificate, send it GOV.UK: if you do not send it when asked, you may need to start the claim again. Starting again is a new received date for the 3-month backdate.

How much is a replacement certificate, and does the fee change the backdate?

Swipe sideways for the full table

GRO replacement fees on GOV.UK (England and Wales)
Service on GOV.UK	Fee	When GOV.UK says it is sent
Standard copy (you have the GRO index reference)	£12.50	4 days after you apply
Standard copy plus a search (no GRO index reference)	£12.50 + £3.50	15 working days after you apply
Priority service (order by 4pm)	£38.50	Next working day

Fees from GOV.UK order-a-certificate page, checked on 10 September 2026. Applies to England and Wales GRO orders. Citizens Advice still showed £11 on its how-to-claim page the same day — that is not the live GRO figure. Scotland and Northern Ireland use different processes linked from the same GOV.UK page.

The fee does not extend the Child Benefit backdate. Paying for a faster copy only helps if HMRC has asked for the document. The backdate is still up to 3 months from the date you made the claim.

In shortClaim without the certificate if you do not have it. England, Wales and Scotland claims type identifiers from the certificate rather than posting it. If HMRC asks and you do not send it, you may have to start again — and that restarts the 3-month clock.

Questions parents ask

If I claim without the certificate, do I still get the 3-month backdate?: GOV.UK says a successful claim is still backdated for up to 3 months from the date you make the claim, including when you claimed without the certificate.
What if HMRC asks for the certificate and I ignore the letter?: GOV.UK: if you do not send the certificate when asked, you may need to start the claim again. A new claim has a new received date for backdate.
The birth was registered in Scotland. Do I post the certificate?: The official CH2 notes say no: tell HMRC the district number, year and entry number from the top of the certificate. If you do not have those numbers yet, use GOV.UK's claim-without-the-certificate route.
The baby was born outside the UK. Can I still claim today?: Yes. GOV.UK says if you do not have the certificate you need, make a claim now and send it once you have it. The documents list is the original certificate plus the passport or travel document used to enter the UK.

Sources

Official pages first. If this page and the official page disagree, the official page wins.

GOV.UK — Child Benefit: how to claim — checked 10 September 2026
GOV.UK — Claim Child Benefit if you cannot claim online (CH2) — checked 10 September 2026
GOV.UK — Order a birth, death, marriage or civil partnership certificate — checked 10 September 2026
Citizens Advice — How to claim Child Benefit — checked 10 September 2026
Which? — Child Benefit rates and calculator 2026-27 (6 April 2026) — checked 10 September 2026

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