Q: Is zakāh necessary on child benefit payments?
I wanted to know who is considered the owner of the child benefit given by the government. Is it the child or the mother? I believe that if it is the mother then zakāh will be compulsory.
الجواب حامدًا و مصليًا و منه الصدق و الصواب
A: According to the details on the following government website: http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/childbenefit Child Benefit is paid to the parent who is deemed to have care of the child and this is usually the mother.
Thus, any child benefit received by the parent [usually the mother] is the property of the parent and not the child. If the parent is liable to pay zakāh, then the child benefit received will also be subject to zakāh.