Guardian's Allowance: HMRC Address, Phone Number and How to Send Your Documents Safely

The Postal Address

All Guardian's Allowance claims go to one place:

HM Revenue and Customs — Guardian's Allowance Unit Child Benefit Office PO Box 1 Newcastle upon Tyne NE88 1AA

This is the same office that handles all Child Benefit claims across the UK. Whether you live in Cornwall, Glasgow, Belfast, or Wrexham, your BG1 form goes to Newcastle.

The Phone Number

The Guardian's Allowance Unit telephone line is 0300 322 9080. You can use it to request a paper BG1 form, check the status of a claim, or ask about specific eligibility questions.

The general Child Benefit helpline — 0300 200 3100 — also handles Guardian's Allowance queries and may be easier to get through to.

Lines are open Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm. Expect longer wait times on Mondays and around the start of each tax year in April.

Sending Original Documents

HMRC requires original certificates, not photocopies. For most claims, that means:

• The child's full birth certificate
• One or both parents' death certificates
• Any exception evidence (court sentencing records, hospital detention orders, divorce decrees)

Posting irreplaceable documents to a PO Box understandably creates anxiety. Here is what you can do to protect yourself:

Photocopy everything before you send it. HMRC will not accept photocopies as evidence, but you need your own record in case anything goes missing.

Use Royal Mail Signed For or Special Delivery. Standard post provides no proof of delivery. Royal Mail Signed For gives you a tracking number and requires a signature on receipt. Special Delivery offers tracked delivery; check Royal Mail's current terms for delivery guarantees and compensation cover.

Record the tracking reference. Keep the receipt with the tracking number somewhere safe. If you need to chase the return of your documents, this is your proof that HMRC received them.

How HMRC Returns Your Documents

After the Guardian's Allowance Unit has inspected your originals, they return them by standard post. There is no option to request tracked return delivery.

If your documents have not come back, phone the helpline to check on their return.

What If Originals Are Lost?

If your original birth or death certificates have been lost or damaged, you can order certified replacements from the General Register Office (GRO) or the relevant local registrar. Check the issuing office's current fee before ordering.

Order replacements before you need them if there is any risk the originals are not available. Waiting for a replacement certificate can push your claim past the three-month backdating window.

Our Guardian's Allowance guide includes a certificate postal log for recording serial numbers, tracking references, and return dates — so you have a complete paper trail for every document you send to Newcastle.

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