HMRC Child Benefit alert to parents as 'service shuts tonight'

HMRC Child Benefit alert to parents as 'service shuts tonight' HM Revenue & Customs has put out an alert to parents Millions of parents face a temporary block on accessing their Child Benefit details as HMRC takes its online service offline. Families trying to check or update their Child Benefit claim will be unable to use the Government's online service for four hours on Friday into Saturday while maintenance work is carried out. HM Revenue & Customs has warned that the service will close at 10pm on Friday, September 18, reopening at 2am on Saturday, September 19. The shutdown means parents who need to report a change affecting their Child Benefit claim will have to wait until the service comes back online. HMRC's official service availability guidance says the Child Benefit service is currently fully operational and there are no other reported problems. But the tax authority has issued a specific warning about the planned Friday night closure. It says: "Due to scheduled maintenance, you will be unable to access our online service from 10pm on Friday 18 September 2026 to 2am on Saturday 19 September 2026." HMRC added: "We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause." The Child Benefit online service allows parents to report changes that could affect their claim, including circumstances affecting their entitlement. For most families, Child Benefit is paid every four weeks. But the benefit is about more than simply providing extra cash for raising children. A claim can also protect a parent's entitlement to National Insurance credits, which can count towards their State Pension. This can be particularly important for parents who stop working or reduce their hours to look after children. HMRC's warning does not indicate that Child Benefit payments themselves will be stopped or delayed. Instead, it relates specifically to access to the online service during the scheduled maintenance period. Parents who need to make changes to their claim should therefore avoid leaving it until the Friday night shutdown.