Child benefit help?

[ihearttc]

This will be quite long so apologies in advance!

DH has worked abroad for the last 4 years nearly. We have 2 DC (15 and 9). I’m a TA so although I have an income it’s not a huge amount. When DH was working in the UK we stopped claiming CB as he earns over the threshold and when he went abroad to work we never restarted it. He was a resident in the country he worked in so was tax exempt here (filled in a form with HMRC). I called the CB line last year regarding claiming it but not receiving it to keep my NI contributions and they said I was eligible for the last 3 years CB and they would pay it (which they did in a lump sum) and that would also cover my NI contributions for those years. I have been receiving CB for the last year but saving it in case I ever need to pay it back.

DH has now come back to work in the UK. He starts a new job hopefully at the beginning of April and his salary will be over the threshold again so I need to call them up and get it stopped? I’m assuming as long as I get it stopped before the start of April when this Tax Year stops then it shouldn’t affect anything?

You don’t need to stop the claim, you can continue claiming it and your DH will need to pay the tax charge through his tax return

No I know but I want to. I can’t be dealing with having to do tax returns and then having to pay it back. With his commission he will be over 60k so the whole lot would need to go back anyway so it seems a little pointless to claim it to just pay it all back. Am I right in thinking that I can claim it from
April but not receive it so as to keep my NI contributions?

If you're working and paying NI you don't need to worry about getting CB related NI credits and you won't be eligible for much longer anyway as they stop when your youngest child reaches or passes 12, sorry don't know which of these it is. You can check your NI record on the government gateway to see where you're up to.