Jeremy Hunt lifts child benefit high-income charge threshold in Budget surprise

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. open image in gallery Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt delivering his Budget to the House of Commons in London on Wednesday Currently, if you earn £50,000 or more before tax each year you can still claim child benefit, but you have to start paying a “child benefit tax charge” above that threshold. open image in gallery Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer responds to the Budget announcement Chancellor Jeremy Hunt said child benefit is withdrawn when one parent earns more than £50,000 a year, saying: “That means two parents earning £49,000 a year receive the benefit in full but a household earning a lot less than that does not if just one parent earns over £50,000. open image in gallery Jess Phillips Phillips, the former shadow minister for domestic violence and safeguarding, took a swipe at the chancellor’s child benefit announcement on social media Ms Phillips, the former shadow minister for domestic violence and safeguarding, took a swipe at the chancellor’s child benefit announcement on social media, posting on X: “Love Jeremy Hunt is undoing an unfairness in child benefit that a government he was a cabinet minister in started. “Chancellor tipped me off before budget, said this was due in large to MSE/my shows campaigning – all based on all those of you who messaged me to say it was the key thing to put to him.” IFS director Paul Johnson said: “Radical change this – allowing HMRC to collect household-level information so as to reform high-income child benefit charge.