Child Benefit

[KaraThrace123]

Hi all. Just a quick question as have tried to get through to C/B but there's a huge waiting time at the moment for some reason and thought someone on here may know...

My partner and I are moving in together. He has children as do I. I've been told previously that only one claim can be made per family, so are we a family for CB purposes as his children are not mine nor mine his. Do we make one claim for all the children or do we each have a separate claim from our family home?

Thanks in advance!

I understand that CB can only be claimed by a child's primary carer ie. natural parent of the child in the first instance and, failing that, their adoptive parent. Full Rules here] There is also a 'guardians allowance'

If your partner normally claims the CB for his children then he should continue to do so, as should you. Are either of you higher rate taxpayers?

You will need to make one claim, because you will only get the higher amount for the oldest child in the household (see here). It's irrelevant who is the biological parent in this case, you are treated as a family by HMRC. You can apply for child benefit if you are responsible for a child, it doesn't matter if you are the natural/biological or adoptive parent. HMRC will regard you as being responsible if you are cohabiting with the child's father (see here).

Guardian's Allowance wouldn't apply unless at least one of the child's parents has died.

Doesn't your partner's children's mother claim the CB for them?

Thanks both of you. Justalittleone - That's our dilemma, are we a "family" as we will all live as one family or are we not a family as our children are our own and we have no "joint" children, if that makes sense. It seems (and we thought so) that we make one claim for all 3 children.

Cogito - No their mother doesn't claim the CB it is currently claimed by my partner and has been for some time.

Problem we now have is to pick which of us does the claim (me or my partner) as normally only one parent has their name on the claim don't they? Unless we can do a joint named claim as it is an unusual circumstance I guess.

Thanks guys - hopefully they will answer the phone tomorrow! :)