Child benefit, primary carer status and maintenance payments

[OneForTheRoadThen]

I currently claim CB and UC as a single parent (work full time, 2 kids, 60/40 custody). Next year I won't be eligible for these anymore and need to decide what is best to do in terms of either keeping the child benefit claim in my name and opting out/ paying it back or closing my claim so ex-partner can claim CB and therefore UC. The latter is his preferred option unsurprisingly!

My concern is that this would in effect give him primary carer status (even though he isn't). He doesn't pay maintenance but says he could afford it once he gets UC. However if this doesn't materialise I have heard it would be difficult for me to prove to the CMS that I'm primary carer as the recipient of CB holds a lot of weight in their decision making process.

So I was hoping for advice on where I would stand legally if I did close my CB claim? Would I lose primary carer status? Would it be difficult for me to pursue maintenance via the CMS if he didn't start paying? Would he in fact be able to claim maintenance from me if CB confers primary carer status?

Thanks in advance

He pays no child support for his children and never has, but is pressuring you to pretend you are not their primary carer so he can claim benefit money? What a prince. You'd be mad to even entertain the thought.

No. It doesn’t matter.

The first thing CB will do is contact you if he puts in a rival claim for CB. They’d need you to confirm he should be receiving it rather than you. You can just say no on the basis that you are primary carer, and you want to keep your claim (even if it’s currently unpaid).

He’s not going to do that though. Because trying to kick up a huge fuss through CB isn’t going to appeal to him. Is it?