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Lone parents

Use our Single Parent forum to speak to other parents raising a child alone.

Original poster

don't know if angrier at child benefit or ex

24 replies

NicknameTaken · 30/04/2010 09:10

I have a court order showing that I'm the parent with residence.

Out of pity for my ex last December (never show pity!) I said I would stop claiming tax credits so he could claim. I have a better paid job. The fucker not only applied for tax credits, he also applied for child benefit, without my consent. I objected. Cue a 12-week wait. Now child benefit told me they've decided the child is not my ward and I should not receive the child benefit. I can appeal, if I ever receive the form they send out (they have my correct address but correspondence they claim to have sent doesn't seem to arrive).

It's not even the damn money, although I'm out £320 by now. It's the fucking stupidity. It's the malice of my ex when I was trying to be kind. It's being told over the phone that my DD is not my ward (or was "removed from my ward") as they so nicely put it).

OP posts:
ABitBatty · 30/04/2010 09:24

What a tosser

You can download the form to fill in

Child benefit Appeal form

ABitBatty · 30/04/2010 09:26

Oh, not sure if that link works.

CB Appeal

lilmissmummy · 30/04/2010 09:27

That is terrible what is wrong with them... o him for that matter

pithyslicker · 30/04/2010 10:00

How many nights does your dc stay with you and how many with his dad?

Original poster
NicknameTaken · 30/04/2010 10:28

9 nights out of 28 with her dad (a slightly complicated schedule).

Thanks for the form, ABitBatty.

I just hate the fact that on some official record, I'm not acknowledged as the residential parent.

OP posts:
Original poster
NicknameTaken · 30/04/2010 10:29

Oh, and the other 19 nights with me, in case that's not clear.

OP posts:
HanBanan · 30/04/2010 10:30

I don't get this....did you allow him to tell the taxman that your child lived with him full time? How else can he claim benefits and tax credits?

Sorry, I guess it's a nightmare for you....but I don't understand why you would do that? The money is after all meant to be for the child....whether you're better paid or not. If he wants more money he should work hard for a promotion!!!

HanBanan · 30/04/2010 10:32

Plus they must be telling you basically he will continue to get the benefit when he hasn't got the child!!! Get a solicitor. He can be done for fraud if you're really angry...

Original poster
NicknameTaken · 30/04/2010 10:41

No, I didn't lie for him. He has DD or pays for childcare two days a week - I told the tax credit people this. I had been claiming for childcare Tues/Wed/Thurs. I dropped this claim and let him claim for the Mon/Fri. No fraud on either of our parts (as far as I know). You don't need to have a child full-time to get tax credits, you just need to agree which of the parents applies, as only one can do so. And yes, the money is for the child - it would have been spent on childcare for her whichever of us applied.

I never accepted that he should apply for child benefit. As soon as I knew he had done so (2nd Feb), I rang them, told them that I had DD for majority of the time, told them about the court order and offered to send it. They said it wouldn't be necessary.

I don't think he has acted fraudulently (although I haven't seen his forms, so who knows what he said). What happened is that we have made competing claims, and they have wrongly decided that his is the stronger one.

Ironically, he's about to be made redundant, sso won't be eligible for tax credits soon anyway!

OP posts:
pithyslicker · 30/04/2010 10:53

He may have been advised that he needed to claim the family allowance to be able to claim tax credits?

Casmama · 30/04/2010 11:03

I agree with pithyslicker, I could be wrong but I think you have to be the person claiming the child benefit in order to be eligible for tax credits.

Original poster
NicknameTaken · 30/04/2010 11:08

I explicitly asked the tax credit people and they said it was no longer true.

Ex told me he got confused between tax credits/child benefit. English isn't his first language, I did all the paperwork when we were together, and he didn't listen to my explanations, so there could be an element of truth. Mainly, I think he was chancing his arm in claiming all the money he could and hoped I would just accept it as a fait accompli. That's something of a pattern.

OP posts:
nixnjj · 01/05/2010 02:35

They informed you incorrectly Child Benefit it the gateway benefit. The only way he would be able to claim Tax Credit is to show them he is the parent claiming the child Benefit. My brother is a LP and when his GF moved in as she was working they had to change to child benefit into her name although she had no claim to the child, Its sounds confusing as you have a court order and English isn't his first language, Were you married and would he be eligble for state assistance on his own merit. If I'm out of order I am truely sorry but it sounds to me he was probably aware his job would be made redundant and asked this favour to make himself eligble for benefits and is trying to pass himself off as a single parent with care. Surely if you have a court order showing this proof should be enough and if they are saying its not would suggest you speak to your local MP and get him to bang some heads together

Again if have the wrong end of the stick I appologies

I'm new here so not sure how it all works but if you can contact me I can forward you a link to a site where people who actually work for the various agencies with give you free, honest and upto date advice and sugget the quickest way of sorting this out

Original poster
NicknameTaken · 01/05/2010 15:13

Thanks, nix. It would be great if you could post that link. He could well have been trying something of the kind. I know he was looking to get eligble for housing benefit.

OP posts:
nixnjj · 02/05/2010 02:43

ARe you allowed to post links to other sites on here as i know alot of forums don't like it.

Its a moneysaving site run by martin Lewis if that helps, if you go to the forum there is a part where benefit and CSA .
queries are posted. If a mod can give me the ok I would be happy to post a link although you have to sign up to be able to post

TheBossofMe · 02/05/2010 03:54

nixxnj - links to other sites are fine, everyone uses them all the time on MN. Welcome, by the way!

nixnjj · 02/05/2010 12:31

Thanks TheBossofMe

This is the site

www.moneysavingexpert.com/

As I said sign up to be able to post a question on the forums

You will need to go to the sub forum Work & Benefits, then post on the
Benefits & Tax Credits

Many people who answer posts on there are employeed by the various agency's and you will get honest upto date advice

There are a few people who can get very judgemental but ignore them, they a sad and bitter individuals who have no life who use forums to try and make themselves feel better about their lack of life.

Good luck and thanks for the welcome

HanBanan · 02/05/2010 13:45

Oh I see what you mean now.

Is it really not possible that he told a few porkies on his child benefit claim?

Bloody hell, you'd think this could never happen with something as basic as child benefit but it just proves how naive I am!!

Original poster
NicknameTaken · 03/05/2010 13:40

Thanks for the link.

I wouldn't rule out porkies. I'm going to appeal, send in copy of court order, and hope that does it. Surely it must!

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Original poster
NicknameTaken · 19/05/2010 10:26

It's beyond a fucking joke. They withdrew my child benefit because I wasn't providing them with information but THEY SENT THE CORRESPONDENCE TO THE WRONG FUCKING ADDRESS although I informed them in writing that it had changed and every time I called they asked for my address and I told them the new one. And they ignored all my phone calls telling them that I had a court order stating that I was the residential parent and the majority of DD's nights are spent with me.

I sent them an appeal (with a copy of the court order) by registered post which is logged onto their system, but apparently nobody can physically find it. And it shouldn't have been an appeal, but an application for reconsideration (which is not what they told me by phone), so I'm going to have to fill out a different form and send the court order, again. I've begged to send the court order as a pdf or by fax but they won't allow it. I can't believe that they ignore my every communication and then take away the child benefit based on my lack of communication.

I'm actually in tears of frustration here, not because of the money but because I can't believe that such incompetence is allowed to go on.

OP posts:
gillybean2 · 19/05/2010 17:16

Get in touch with your MP. Can guaranteed it will be sorted out much faster if you do!

EleanorHandbasket · 19/05/2010 17:20

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

StewieGriffinsMom · 19/05/2010 17:27

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Original poster
NicknameTaken · 20/05/2010 12:15

Thanks. I'm giving them one last chance and then I'll go to my MP.

OP posts:
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