Child Benefit and spending maternity leave abroad.

[VivienMcAdams]

Hello there,
I'm confused with the child benefit rules - but to make it easier, maybe I'll explain my situation first.
I'm due in mid-October, planning to take a full, 1 year maternity leave.
My husband wants to take a sabbatical (unpaid year off) for a year as well, so we can spend this time abroad.
We are renting a property now, so after we leave, we will no longer have a UK address.
From what I understand, during maternity leave I am being treated as a person in employment. Does it mean we will be entitled to child benefit for that time? The baby will be born in the UK, but will spend the first year of his life abroad.

I am unsure if we can claim the benefit, and if so - would it matter that we no longer have a permanent UK address. We will be returning to the UK in October/November 2013.

Thank you kindly for any advice!

well, 4 years ago I rang and asked the office they where really nice, I explained we where going short term but could be longer, the gentleman said you could for a year if the intention was it was only a year, but if it went on then we couldn't.
this was 4 years ago, so the rule could have changed, so ring them they where very helpful and they didn't take my details just advised.

It depends on which country you are going to I believe, will it be somewhere in Europe?