About 500,000 people in the UK expecting child benefit payments did not receive them on Monday, with some parents saying the shortfall left them unable to buy food for their children or facing bank charges.
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) apologised after about 30% of child benefit payments scheduled for 3 June did not arrive in claimants’ bank accounts. Late on Monday afternoon, it said those affected would now receive their money on Wednesday morning.
HMRC said the problem was caused by a processing error that had since been resolved, and not – as some people on social media had suggested – a data hack.
Child benefit is usually paid every four weeks on a Monday or Tuesday. The standard weekly payment is £25.60 for the eldest or only child, and £16.95 for each additional child.
On the social media platform X, some parents said they needed the money right away. One posted that “we rely on it and live payday to payday, how do I feed my kids?” Another wrote: “This is my family’s food money for the next few weeks, and so many other families face the same.”
A third, Toni Kemp, said: “My children will be home soon with nothing for dinner as like most parents we still are waiting for the money to hit our accounts to be able to buy our children food tonight,” adding: “How do we feed them?”
Amy Pearson tweeted: “So when will these be solved? I have 2 kids one disabled and my electric is beeping on emergency. I rely on this money on a Monday to top my meter up.”
Meanwhile, Kim Fuller said she had breast cancer and was relying on her child benefit to pay for after-school childcare while she went to a pre-operation assessment appointment, which she now could not attend and would have to postpone.
Some people talked about bank overdraft charges that would be incurred or payments that might bounce as a result of the money not arriving.
An HMRC spokesperson said: “We are very sorry that some customers did not receive their scheduled child benefit payments as expected, and we understand the concern and difficulty this may have caused. We have now fixed the problem and are putting measures in place to prevent this from happening again.”