HMRC experiences delays in child benefit payments affecting half a million families

Martin Lewis shared important advice for parents because many did not get their child benefit payment due to a mistake by HMRC. About 500,000 people in the UK were supposed to get child benefit on Monday, but it didn't come. Some parents couldn't buy food for their kids or faced bank charges because of this. HMRC said it was a processing error, not a data hack. Child benefit is usually paid every four weeks on a Monday or Tuesday. The standard payment is £25.60 for the eldest or only child, and £16.95 for each additional child. HMRC apologized for the error and said they were working to fix it. They promised that affected customers would get their payments on Wednesday. If anyone faced financial loss because of the delay, they could apply for compensation by filling an online form. Some families rely on child benefit to manage their expenses. People can get child benefit weekly if they are single parents or receive certain benefits like universal credit. Almost half a million families were affected by a mistake at HMRC that caused them to miss their child benefit payments. This error left many parents struggling to pay for essentials like food. HMRC has faced criticism for its poor customer service in the past. People can claim child benefit if they are responsible for a child under 16, or 20 if the child is in education or training. The benefit is gradually reduced for couples earning over £60,000 a year and stops completely at £80,000. If anyone didn't get their child benefit payment, they should complain to HMRC for compensation. HMRC assured that the issue causing payment problems would not affect future payments.