Fatwa ID: 03357

Answered by: Imam Abdul-Malik Sheikh​

Question

Assalamulaikum

To whom it may concern. I hope this email finds you in the best of health. My enquiry is on child benefit. Who is the owner of the money received in child benefit? Is it the mother or the child? JazakAllah Khair

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيْم

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful 

Answer

The child benefit is paid to the primary carer of the child, in order to support them with the care and cost of looking after the child. This benefit is paid to a person who is responsible for a child who is under 16 or under 20 if the child is still in full-time education[1].

According to the above eligibility criteria, the owner of the money is the child’s primary carer or parent. This benefit is not paid to the children and therefore they have no decision on how and what the money is spent on. The benefit is given by the state to help them with the cost of looking after the children and is never paid directly to the children.

Only Allah knows best

Written by Imam Abdul-Malik Sheikh

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham