Following the decision made by Executive Council in July 2026, the St Helena Government (SHG) is pleased to announce that a new Child Benefit scheme will officially launch on 1 November 2026.
Designed to improve the financial situation of families and directly benefit children, the scheme recognises that investing in early childhood supports healthy development, reduces poverty, and yields long-term benefits for society and economic growth. While operating within SHG’s financial constraints, the scheme targets universality for all resident families with children from birth before they start full-time primary school.
The benefit will provide £15 per week in its first year (with a planned increase to £20 per week in the following year) for each eligible child up until, but not including, their sixth birthday.
The scheme establishes a fixed Child Benefit to support the day-to-day expenses of raising young children on St Helena, such as food, clothing, nappies, transport, and childcare, helping to ease household financial pressures. Rather than acting as an income replacement or an assessment of a family’s poverty gap, it provides a straightforward, reliable weekly entitlement that families can easily plan around. Recognising that giving children a good start benefits the entire island community, the scheme helps shape St Helena’s future while addressing employment barriers such as childcare and transport costs, particularly for single parents and lower-paid workers. While the core entitlement rules are defined by the policy, comprehensive operational guidelines ensure that applications, decisions, payments, changes, reviews, recovery, and records are managed efficiently.
Key Information and Eligibility
- Entitlement is determined on a child-by-child basis. For a family with two eligible children, the support doubles to £30 a week.
- Except for specific technical exclusions, the benefit is not means-tested. Family income, savings, property, and employment status do not affect eligibility. A universal approach within the eligible group avoids complex administrative reassessments, prevents income cut-offs from penalising working families, and ensures lower-paid households receive support regardless of fluctuations in earnings.
- The child must normally live in St Helena (eligibility is based on resident children rather than strict St Helenian status), and the claimant must have primary responsibility for the child’s day-to-day care. Only one person may receive Child Benefit for the same child and week.
- Carers in shared-care arrangements should nominate one person to receive the payment. If an agreement cannot be reached, the Benefits Office will determine eligibility based on the child’s usual home, daily care responsibility, ordinary costs, and relevant legal orders.
- Child Benefit is non-taxable and is fully disregarded when assessing Income-Related Benefit (IRB), meaning families receiving IRB will receive Child Benefit as additional support without an equivalent reduction in their IRB (though a separate application must still be submitted).
- Individuals receiving certain international family supplements or allowances under SHG Technical Cooperation Programme terms (specifically, those receiving a supplement to salary as part of their contract) or their spouse or partner do not qualify, avoiding overlapping family support.
How Payments Work
Payments will normally be made weekly into a verified Bank of St Helena account in the claimant’s name, though cash payments can be arranged where banking access is not possible. Entitlement generally begins from the first week following the later of the application being received or all eligibility conditions being met. To ensure uninterrupted support, temporary absences from St Helena lasting fewer than 90 days will not stop payments, while children away on government-arranged overseas medical referrals are covered separately for the full duration of their treatment.
Claimants are required to promptly notify the Benefits Office of any relevant changes in circumstances, such as shifts in daily care, residence, shared-care arrangements, payment details, or changes affecting Technical Cooperation eligibility.
How to Apply
Applications must be submitted using the official approved form available on the SHG website at https://www.sainthelena.gov.sh/app/uploads/2026/10/Child-Benefit-Application-Form.pdf. Alternatively, hard copies are available from the Benefits Office or the Customer Services Centre in Jamestown.
Completed applications, along with required evidence (such as a birth certificate or passport) and payment instructions, can be submitted in writing or via email to the Benefits Office:
gail.beard@sainthelena.gov.sh; joanne.jonas@sainthelena.gov.sh; sharon.wade@sainthelena.gov.sh
Members of the public are kindly requested to telephone the Benefits Office on 22605 to make an appointment. Applicants will receive a written decision outlining the reasons and rules applied. Those who disagree with a decision may request an internal review, normally within 14 days, addressed to the Deputy Financial Secretary.
Chief Minister, Dr Rebecca Cairns-Wicks MBE, added:
“We want St Helena to be a place where families can build their future and children have the opportunity to thrive. Child Benefit is one practical step towards that ambition.
We know that £15 a week will not meet every cost of raising a child. But it is regular support that families can plan around and put towards what their children need, whether that is food, clothing, transport or childcare. We want eligible families to be able to access this support through a clear and straightforward application process.
Giving children a good start matters to us all. Through Child Benefit, Government is helping families with the pressures they face today and investing in the children who will shape our island’s future. This is part of building the fairer, more resilient St Helena we want to see.”
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