Section 13 | Necessity of application for child benefit

(1)Subject to the provisions of this Act, no person shall be entitled to child benefit unless he claims it in the manner, and within the time, prescribed in relation to child benefit by regulations under section 5 above.

(1A)No person shall be entitled to child benefit unless subsection (1B) below is satisfied in relation to him.^F1

(1B)This subsection is satisfied in relation to a person if—^F1

(a)his claim for child benefit is accompanied by—^F1

(i)a statement of his national insurance number and information or evidence establishing that that number has been allocated to him; or^F1

(ii)information or evidence enabling the national insurance number that has been allocated to him to be ascertained; or^F1

(b)he makes an application for a national insurance number to be allocated to him which is accompanied by information or evidence enabling such a number to be so allocated.^F1

(1C)Regulations may make provision disapplying subsection (1A) above in the case of—^F1

(a)prescribed descriptions of persons making claims; or^F1

(b)prescribed descriptions of children or qualifying young persons in respect of whom child benefit is claimed,^F1F2

or in other prescribed circumstances.

(2)Except where regulations otherwise provide, no person shall be entitled to child benefit for any week on a claim made by him after that week if child benefit in respect of the same child or qualifying young person has already been paid for that week to another person, whether or not that other person was entitled to it.^F3