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Written Question
Child Benefit: Foreign Nationals
Wednesday 4th February 2026

Asked by: Helen Whately (Conservative - Faversham and Mid Kent)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what is the total amount of Child Benefit paid to non-UK nationals since July 2024, broken down by month; and what proportion of that amount was paid for children who don’t reside in the UK.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

HMRC no longer produce a breakdown of Child benefit claimed by nationality.

This release was discontinued following user consultation.

The latest publication was in August 2022. Income Tax, National Insurance contributions, Tax Credits and Child Benefit Statistics for Non-UK Nationals: 2019 to 2020 - GOV.UK

Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 03 Feb 2026
Universal Credit (Removal of Two Child Limit) Bill

"My right hon. Friend has indeed made a significant point about the strange position in which so many Labour Members find themselves. Having previously voted against lifting the cap, here they are now, delighted about lifting it.

Labour Members say that the Bill will end child poverty. They have read …..."
Helen Whately - View Speech

View all Helen Whately (Con - Faversham and Mid Kent) contributions to the debate on: Universal Credit (Removal of Two Child Limit) Bill
Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 03 Feb 2026
Universal Credit (Removal of Two Child Limit) Bill

"My hon. Friend has made the important point that no other party in the Chamber seems to realise what a serious financial position the country is in. We have to ask ourselves hard questions about what the country can afford...."
Helen Whately - View Speech

View all Helen Whately (Con - Faversham and Mid Kent) contributions to the debate on: Universal Credit (Removal of Two Child Limit) Bill
Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 03 Feb 2026
Universal Credit (Removal of Two Child Limit) Bill

"If the hon. Gentleman listens to what I am about to say about the back and forth on this policy on his side of the House, he will see that he should think a bit harder before talking about “consistency”.

So what is this Bill really about? If Labour truly …..."
Helen Whately - View Speech

View all Helen Whately (Con - Faversham and Mid Kent) contributions to the debate on: Universal Credit (Removal of Two Child Limit) Bill
Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 03 Feb 2026
Universal Credit (Removal of Two Child Limit) Bill

"I will give way to Members on the Government Benches in a moment. I just ask them to think about the implications of the extra money that people will be receiving. Some people will—frankly and factually—calculate that they can boost their income far more by having children than by working. …..."
Helen Whately - View Speech

View all Helen Whately (Con - Faversham and Mid Kent) contributions to the debate on: Universal Credit (Removal of Two Child Limit) Bill
Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 03 Feb 2026
Universal Credit (Removal of Two Child Limit) Bill

"The fact is that people do the sums. That is the reality of the world we live in. The hon. Gentleman indicated that he is a member of the Treasury Committee, so he must be interested—even though he is looking at his phone—in these unavoidable questions. Where will the £3 …..."
Helen Whately - View Speech

View all Helen Whately (Con - Faversham and Mid Kent) contributions to the debate on: Universal Credit (Removal of Two Child Limit) Bill
Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 03 Feb 2026
Universal Credit (Removal of Two Child Limit) Bill

"Unfortunately, the hon. Lady does not seem to understand that hypothecated taxes are not a thing. What she has said simply does not make sense. The fact is that this Bill will cost the Government money, so it will cost taxpayers money, either now or in the future. That is …..."
Helen Whately - View Speech

View all Helen Whately (Con - Faversham and Mid Kent) contributions to the debate on: Universal Credit (Removal of Two Child Limit) Bill
Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 03 Feb 2026
Universal Credit (Removal of Two Child Limit) Bill

"I would be delighted to hear it...."
Helen Whately - View Speech

View all Helen Whately (Con - Faversham and Mid Kent) contributions to the debate on: Universal Credit (Removal of Two Child Limit) Bill
Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 03 Feb 2026
Universal Credit (Removal of Two Child Limit) Bill

"Every week, millions of people up and down the country sit at their kitchen table and do the sums to work out what is coming in, what is going out, and what simply is not affordable. Sometimes the conversation may take a more serious turn to one of life’s biggest …..."
Helen Whately - View Speech

View all Helen Whately (Con - Faversham and Mid Kent) contributions to the debate on: Universal Credit (Removal of Two Child Limit) Bill
Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 03 Feb 2026
Universal Credit (Removal of Two Child Limit) Bill

"I am sure that all of us in this House care about poverty and children’s prospects, but the answer is not to spend more, to hand out more money and to trap people in worklessness; the answer is to support people to work, and that is exactly the opposite of …..."
Helen Whately - View Speech

View all Helen Whately (Con - Faversham and Mid Kent) contributions to the debate on: Universal Credit (Removal of Two Child Limit) Bill