unclaimed child benefit

[katherineL]

Hi mumsnet,

i hope you can help me as I am absolutely distraught.

With all the news about child benefit I realised that I have not received any child benefit for my second child who is now 10! Call me stupid or naive but I thought that what I was receiving was all that I was entitled to as I periodically received letters notifying me of increases in payments not knowing that this was just for my older child who is now 14.
Please could anyone let me know if when you are already claiming child benefit for one child whether the second automatically kicks in or whether I should have received a form to complete. If I had received a form I would have completed it ( I was working full time and paying over £1100 a month for nursery care) and sent it back so who is to blame if it was not received by me or by the child benefit offices?
i have now asked for a form to complete but have been told that the arrears will not be paid. Any help appreciated, thanks

the letters detail which child each claim is for and how much the increase is though.. did you not realise there was only one name on there?

i don't think there is anything you can do.. you won't get 10 years of back pay

i got a form for DC2 when she was born, in the bounty pack iirc, but this was 5 years ago.

the DWP don't know you have children unless you actually tell them.

i imagine you are incredibly upset and frustrated and cross with yourself, but i don't think there is anything you can do after 10 years

How do they magically know you have had a second child unless you inform them? You should have recieved a form at the hospital, or even at the registry office. If you hadn't known you weren't getting it, you obviously didn't miss it so to want to have it backdated now is a bit much tbh.

Child Benefit can't be backdated by more than three months (per the application form)

See here for more info.

I didn't get a form second time around (DS unplanned homebirth so no Bounty Pack, not provided by Register office etc) so I applied online. As you have discovered the hard way, it doesn't kick in automatically.

I can completely understand why you are upset with yourself but there's been no mistake by anybody else as far as I can see.
(And I agree, I think most letters I've had re child benefit have given details of the child(ren) it applies to)

Get your form in ASAP, you may get three months backpay and at least you can get money for DC2 going forward (or at least until 2013 dending on your tax status!)

Oh dear, I don't think there is much you can do but start claiming from now.

Whatever you do, don't work out how much you have lost.