Child benefit claim

[Notonthenewrug]

Quick question to settle an argument.
Can a father claim child benefit if the child does not live with him (he has her 2 nights every other weekend).
Mum has claimed child benefit for child for years (obviously because child lives with her mum). Mum says she is no longer needing to claim because she earns over 60k, so does dad want to claim instead.
I've said this doesn't sound right at all because child does not live with him. Also, I already claim child benefit in our household for our children who are with us full time).

Yes I'm sure he can if he contributes at least the value of CB for the child. I'll look for a link

Or she can still claim but opt out of payment

You’ll usually be responsible for a child if you live with them or you’re paying at least the same amount as Child Benefit (or the equivalent in kind) towards looking after them, for example on food, clothes or pocket money.

Does child maintenance count? He pays more than the child benefit amount in child maintenance but doesn't contribute anything else, other than pay for food when she is with us.

Also, as I claim in our household for our 2 children. Can my partner claim separately for his own child?

Yes he can claim. Either parent can claim CB...the resident parent automatically, the nonresident of paying child maintenance. Which he is. Child benefit is linked to the child. So doesn’t matter that you are claiming for different children

Yes it seems as if he can claim. If his maintenance contribution is at least as much as the child benefit amount.

Wow. I'm shocked that he could claim benefit for a child he has 2 nights a fortnight!

Is he a lower earner then?
She could continue with her claim but not take the money

Apparently he is. He's actually a very high earner (earns £85 an hour) but chooses to only work 10 hours a week, therefore earning less than her. It just seems odd because he has around 200k in savings and doesn't need child benefit at all and only pays child maintenance, doesn't buy clothes etc for child.

He could say no

He can't trust her. That's why it's odd. She illegally claimed thousands in child maintenance buy pretending he didn't see the child. There's a huge history of her massively screwing him over in the divorce. So it's very odd she's offered him child benefit and I don't trust her motives!

He doesn't sound like a very nice partner/person. Why doesn't he buy anything for his child?

He pays maintenance but his ex buys clothes because he's with her so much more. I think he sees that the child maintenance covers it.

Maybe if he chose to work more hours he could contribute more to his child and your household. Seems an odd set up.

He works less hours because before his divorce he was working constantly and lost pretty much everything. After that he decided he was going to work less, he also has a health condition that limits him. However yes, I wish he would actually do more!
I'm not sure what else he would pay towards his eldest, as he pays his maintenance. He does pay half towards a tutor.

Another man claiming to have been screwed over in a divorce 🤣
Funny isn’t it, that in a world so weighted towards men’s’ interests, there’s this little pocket of experience where they’re so hard done by 🤣
Why isn’t he just calling the CB number and asking himself? He works only 10 hours and doesn’t see his oldest child that much - plenty of time to ring. Maybe let him do his own admin? 🤷🏻‍♀️