Tax credit / child benefits

[guessthisisnormal]

Hi my friend has just found out she's expecting twins she's currently a single working mum to 3 boys , I don't understand the new tax credit / child benefit law and she says it's confused her.
Am I right in thinking she can only claim child tax for the 3 boys ,I can't see about child benefit any where so I presumed she would get it for the babies ! Or am I presuming wrong.
Is there anyone slightly more savvy about the rules than us.

I don't think she will get any extra tax credits for the twins. She will get child benefit for both. If the twins had been her third child, then she would have got it for one but she already has 3 so wouldn't get it for any more.

Multiple births are the exception to the rule, but it's about as clear as mud. More here:

www.gov.uk/guidance/child-tax-credit-exceptions-to-the-2-child-limit#multiple-birth

The rules linked to say that they will pay credit for one extra child but not both

She'll get child benefit for both but child tax credit for one of them (as it is a multiple birth).

apologies - looks like what I said was wrong and she will get it for one . I don't suppose twins is something you plan for so it make sense.

Thanks that's really helpful ,
I couldn't understand it clearly enough .

In the past she would have been able to claim for the twins, but not anymore. There is a rule that lets you claim for an extra child if you have a multiple birth but since she is already claiming for three children this won't apply and she will get no extra child tax credit. She will get child benefit for both.

No, the government website says you can claim for one twin even if you’re already receiving CTC for 2, OR MORE children.

You would only get the CTC for the twins if they were child 2 and 3. In her case they are child 4 and 5 so she wouldn't get any income related benefits for them (CTC, WTC) but she would get child benefit if she earns under £60k.

She might still be entitled to help with childcare (childcare tax credits, tax free childcare etc). She should also make sure she pursues the child's father(s) for maintenance.

No, the government website says you can claim for one twin even if you’re already receiving CTC for 2, OR MORE children

Oh, I didn't know that. It doesn't seem fair. If your 4th birth is a single, you get nothing, but if you have 2, you get money for one of them

The assumption is that you responsibly figure out that you can afford one more child without the extra tax credits, but you can't be expected to have planned for multiples. Agree it seems odd- potentially if you have 3 then twins you could get TCs for DCs 1, 2 and 5, but not for 3 and 4!