Child Benefit sneakily stopped, only just found out. Can someone help?

[nunu123]

Hello to all.
I have been lurking on the forums for a while, and have found some really beneficial advice.This is my first actual post, so please be gentle : )
I would really like your help regarding HMRC/Child Benefit Office sneakily having stopped payments for my 3 children (all under the age of 16).

I'd like to give you a brief overview on what happened, and why I only just found this out. And would really appreciate any help you can offer.

I am married with 3 children, and received CTC/WTC/CB as a joint claim.
in December 2014 my husband started working in Ireland.
I contacted HMRC prior to his leaving to inform them of a change of circumstance, namely that my husband would be working indefinitely in Ireland, whilst I and my 3 children would remain in the UK.
I was told that we would stop receiving WTC as my husband would no longer be resident in the UK. I was fine with that.
I was also told I would have to make a new claim as a single parent with 3 children, and end our joint claim. I was also fine with that.
HMRC stopped our Tax Credits/ Child Benefit payments.
When HMRC received my new application, they reinstated all my payments.....or so I thought.
When looking at my bank statement I saw that the Tax Credit paymets had started again so I was relieved. I assumed that all payments were coming in as normal.

Bare in mind through all of this, i received absolutely nothing in writing from HMRC/Child Benefit Office. All correspondence was over the phone.

Fast forward to July 2016. I had an appointment with an advisor at my bank. Whilst checking through my account he saw that whilst I was receiving CTC payments, he couldn't see any Child Benefit payments.
I told him he must have been mistaken, and I explained that yes all my payments had stopped due to the change in circumstance, but they were all reinstated. I was obviously wrong.

I called HMRC/Child Benefit Office explaining the matter, and they said we stopped your payments for Child Benefit because you left the country.
I told them, I have never left the country, and it was only my husband who had gone to work in Ireland.
Not once in any conversation have I ever stated I was going with him.

I know now it was extremely stupid of me to not keep checking my statements as often as I should have.
But in my defence, when I originally saw that my payments had stopped that's when I contacted them about it and they reinstated them. But sneakily, minus the Child Benefit Payments.

Surely, if I was not living in the UK as they claim, I would not have been entitled to any payments of any sort. Am I correct?

I filed a complaint, and received a letter saying that they would NOT reconsider any repayments because apparently I had received a letter
from them saying my Child Benefit would stop but I didn't inform them, which is absolute rubbish.

I really don't know what to do. The Child Benefit payments are still not being paid as they said they are still investigating my claim, but in the letter they say I can not get a refund, nor can I appeal the decision.

Can anyone help me with this awful situation.

Thanks

You need to contact the CB office directly with your claim number.

To be fair lots of polish people working in the UK claim CB for children that live in Poland and are able to because they are UK tax payers. I don't actually know whether in ROI your husband could claim CB for your children but it wouldn't be a good idea for you to stop claiming it because of your pension contributions being protected and aslso because CB is a 'passport benefit' to other benefits.
It sounds to me like the mistake was made when you reported your dh leaving the country, it sounds like someone mistakenly put you all down as leaving and this is why the CB has been stopped. You should still be receiving it. I would just keep badgering them to hurry up with their investigation a sit sounds like it is their fault. Hope it gets sorted.

I think your husband as the working partner is supposed to claim any benefits IAW the country he's working in (within the EU rules).

Wrt CB that is completely different as it is universal & a set amount (universal if you're not a high rate tax payer); also CB is best payed to you as it protects your pension as previously mentioned.

And protecting your pension contributions is even more important for you as you have a disabled child and may be unlikely to work for some years.

Hopefully when it is sorted they will rectify the mistake and pay your NI contributions for the missed 18months ( or whatever it is they do to clock up the pension entitlement years! ).

but you cannot get working tax credits if you don't work at least 16h (carer or not). they must have you down as working otherwise you wouldn't get WTC.

have you checked all the details on the award letter. this doesn't add up.

This doesn't add up.

I think you might get into a lot of trouble if you claim as a single person when you are not single. He works in Ireland and presumably contributes to the household finances.

Maybe go to CAB and double check this.

Coffee- Op doesn't get WTC since her dh went to work in Ireland and she opened a single claim for tax credits. This seems perfectly correct to me as her dh was the one working and is now off the claim therefore op won't get WTC just CTC.

Actually there is something you could of done. They owe you backpay and you have all the letters/emails that was sent. You have all correspondents. Also the letter you did not receive can be challenged as well even if they did send it and you somehow didnt recieve it. You could claim your post man didnt deliver them as alot send them to wrong addresses (This is a common problem) plus upon investigation with your solicitor they would be able to find out if they sent a letter or not as companies keep a record of everything, Even letters they send out either digital or hard copy. You may not need this info now but incase you come across something like this in the future you will know now.

You're entitled to ctc because of a loop hole in the system and the fact that tax credits relates to tax so operate on tax paid in the country. It's shameful but that's how it is, thankfully one loophole that will be eradicated with universal credit.

CB is different though and they would consider your OH's income. As it is now the case that you can only get 100% CB if earning under £50k ansld nothing over £60k, is oyur oh earning under £50k?

Just noticed this is an old thread but CB for 3 kids is £192 a month, how could the OP have not noticed she wasn’t receiving this?

nunu
Is he permanently resident in Ireland ?
The income tax rates in Ireland are EXACTLY THE SAME as the UK 20% and 40%
www.revenue.ie/en/personal-tax-credits-reliefs-and-exemptions/tax-relief-charts/index.aspx

If you are still married to him you are NOT a single parent
he is presumably still paying the mortgage etc?

Your story does not make sense