Petitions/Allow Child Benefit to be backdated to the start of a child’s eligibility
StatusOngoing
Opened10 Aug 2026
Closes
Government response
Parliamentary debateNot eligible
Milestones

Amend the Social Security Administration Act 1992 to remove the strict three-month backdating limit for Child Benefit claims.

Families shouldn’t lose essential Child Benefit due to lack of awareness, illness, or complex rules. Misleading media reporting about a “2 child cap” caused confusion and delayed claims even where children were legally eligible. It’s unjust that statutory support is paid from the application date, not the true eligibility date.

10,000
100,000

Constituency engagement ranking

Miatta Fahnbulleh
1Miatta Fahnbulleh MP
Peckham
2
Neil Coyle
2Neil Coyle MP
Bermondsey and Old Southwark
1
Sir Christopher Chope
3Sir Christopher Chope MP
Christchurch
1
Baggy Shanker
4Baggy Shanker MP
Derby South
1
Danny Kruger
5Danny Kruger MP
East Wiltshire
1
Naushabah Khan
6Naushabah Khan MP
Gillingham and Rainham
1
Alistair Strathern
7Alistair Strathern MP
Hitchin
1
Mike Wood
8Mike Wood MP
Kingswinford and South Staffordshire
1
Mr Calvin Bailey
9Mr Calvin Bailey MP
Leyton and Wanstead
1
Helen Grant
10Helen Grant MP
Maidstone and Malling
1