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Original poster

Didn’t know about child benefit!

119 replies

Amyloumummy · 16/07/2019 14:21

Hi,

I’ve just found out about child benefit and my daughter is 5!! I’ve missed out on thousands of pounds! I’m wondering how everyone knows about this - should I have been sent a letter when my daughter was born or something? Is it just general knowledge? Really confused how I seem to be the only one not to know about this!

Thanks!

OP posts:
BarrenFieldofFucks · 16/07/2019 19:54

Regardless of bounty packs, there is a form that comes with the registration info.

It isn't a 'benefit' like income related benefits, it has only recently been means tested.

Rtmhwales · 16/07/2019 19:54

I live in North America and even I've heard of it Confused
They probably won't but it's always worth placing a call and seeing if they'll backdate it more than the 3 months. You never know.

teenagetantrums · 16/07/2019 19:56

Have a child that is 5

Shakennotshook · 16/07/2019 20:00

Are you for real?! I dont have kids and know about it. Do you not keep up with the news? Read newspapers? Go online?

Tiredtessy · 16/07/2019 20:02

Well she had missed out on thousands as it’s £82.50 a month so times that by 12 and then by 5!

I think it was just general knowledge and yes the bounty pack and I had my son 10 years ago!

There was a similar thread to this a while ago....

Smithy01 · 16/07/2019 20:02

I don’t think you need to be married for the tax allowance either, so worth checking.

AnotherEmma · 16/07/2019 20:07

How annoying, OP.
I'm pretty sure there was a form in my bounty pack, there should definitely be forms in every one.
Actually, parents should be given a leaflet about child benefit and the form to claim it when they register the birth.

Just apply now and request maximum backdating.

Do you have childcare costs? Are you using any of the schemes like childcare vouchers or tax free childcare?

Theresomethingaboutdairy · 16/07/2019 20:09

My child benefit forms for all 4 of my children were in the Bounty packs and explained to me by the person that came around and delivered them to my bed! But as a PP stated I collected my mums CB from the post office on a weekly basis. My mum just had to sign the counter slip for me!

blue25 · 16/07/2019 20:10

It's general knowledge!

CodenameVillanelle · 16/07/2019 20:15

There was definitely a child benefit application form in my bounty pack 11 years ago but maybe they don't include them now if it's online?
Child benefit has just always been something I knew about. Used to go to the post office for my mum to collect it sometimes with her wee book that got stamped!

Littleduckeggblue · 16/07/2019 20:15

I'm a new mum to a 2 week old. I had a form to fill in and post back in my bounty pack. Also when we registered her birth we had to fill out a form there and they notified the child benefit people without having to send birth certificate (saved us sending the form from the bounty pack back with birth certificate)

goodnessidontknow · 16/07/2019 20:15

Please do contact HMRC as they may actually back date it for the whole time. I know someone who has just received almost 3k as they didn't reinstate a claim when her husband's income dropped below 50k.

Smithy01 · 16/07/2019 20:18

Double checked and you don’t need to be married for the married tax allowance, so if one partner earns below the 12000 allowance you can transfer some of it to the other partner. This can be back dated for up to three years so worth looking into.

Choice4567 · 16/07/2019 20:18

It wouldn’t occur to me to discuss it with a anyone or check that a new mum was claiming it as it’s such general knowledge that it would be odd to bring up. Like asking pregnant women if they know they can get paid for maternity leave

serialtester · 16/07/2019 20:22

So you've been a parent for 5 years without knowing about child benefit?? It used to be a universal benefit until there was the shitstorm in the news about it being removed for high earners?? Do you live under a rock?

CruellaFeinberg · 16/07/2019 20:23

how in the hell does anyone who has children NOT know about child benefit? seriously??

How long have you been on MN? they're always talking about it, there are 00's of posts telling women to make sure they claim if they are the SAHP to make sure they get their NI paid (which goes towards their pensions) seriously? do you live under a bridge??

CruellaFeinberg · 16/07/2019 20:23

sorry - I meant stone, don't know why I put bridge?

do you know how to get your child in to school?

popehilarious · 16/07/2019 20:29

(I'm fairly sure I've never received a Bounty pack, actually - I have 2 kids!)

sittingonacornflake · 16/07/2019 20:29

You aren't the first person this has happened to! Happened to my friend and she was devastated and didn't know why no one had told her. I couldn't work out why I would ever have mentioned it.... it's common knowledge, surely?! I mean clearly not. Makes you wonder what really obvious things anyone else doesn't know....

hmwhatsmynameagain · 16/07/2019 20:43

Begs the question - why is common knowledge not knowledge commonly known anymore?

Nautiloid · 16/07/2019 20:49

Oh no! I knew about it anyway, but the application form was in my bounty pack when I had my first, and I THINK the form to add further children was in my next pack, but I wouldn't swear to it.

Original poster
Amyloumummy · 16/07/2019 21:02

I guess we've been living under a rock! Ha! I really need to chuck some stuff out of my cupboards!

Ahh someone else who didn’t know about it- thanks for admitting it!

But seriously I’m 36 and didn’t know that everyone got a benefit for each child they had! This info has passed me by! I wish someone had mentioned it though!

OP posts:
BikeRunSki · 16/07/2019 21:11

alternatively some of us remember collecting the family allowance from the post office for our mums in the 70s blush I'm not remembering that wrongly, am I?

I do. There was a book of vouchers I think, that you exchanged for cash. They were pale green I seem to remember.

DustyDoorframes · 16/07/2019 21:12

@Smithy01 you definitely do need to be married (or in a civil partnership) for marriage allowance! The clue is in the name!
www.citizensadvice.org.uk/debt-and-money/tax/income-tax-how-much-should-you-pay/income-tax-allowances-and-amounts/#h-marriage-allowance---if-you-re-married-or-in-a-civil-partnership

CruellaFeinberg · 16/07/2019 21:14

Yes, the 1970s books, looked like cheque books, they would take half the page, stamp it and give you the cash

Wow, I'd forgotten about that

I used to go and get it sometimes