Significant drop in new Fife parents claiming child benefit during pandemic

The number of babies Fife parents are claiming child benefit for has fallen significantly, figures reveal.
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Anti-poverty campaign group, Turn2Us, said parents being unable to register their newborns during the pandemic is likely the main cause of the large drop seen across the UK.

HM Revenue and Customs data shows families were receiving the benefit for 2,530 children less than one year old in Fife as of August last year.

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This was 10% fewer than at the same point in 2019 - and a bigger drop than the 3% seen the year before.​

The number of babies Fife parents are claiming child benefit for has fallen significantly,The number of babies Fife parents are claiming child benefit for has fallen significantly,
The number of babies Fife parents are claiming child benefit for has fallen significantly,

The fall among children less than one was the largest of all ages in Fife.

Overall, the number of children for whom benefits were being received across the UK fell by just 1% between both 2018 and 2019, and 2019 and 2020.

In Fife, the figure fell from 66,355 to 65,320 between August 2019 and last year – a drop of 2%.

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