child tax credits

[bert-09]

HI, wonder if anyone can help. I my partner and I claim working tax credits and child tax credits for her son. I have two daughters wholive with their mum most of the time but stay with us most weekends, during the week at times and some holidays.

 

My ex wife doesn't claim any tax credits as their income is too high. As I claim tax credits, could I claim child tax credits for my children? thanks in advance.

[tinafromeast]

Didn't you ask this on the Money Saving Expert benefit forum?

 

HI, wonder if anyone can help. I my partner and I claim working tax credits and child tax credits for her son. I have two daughters wholive with their mum most of the time but stay with us most weekends, during the week at times and some holidays.

 

My ex wife doesn't claim any tax credits as their income is too high. As I claim tax credits, could I claim child tax credits for my children? thanks in advance.

[maroondevo52]

Hello and Welcome, bert-09.

 

Hopefully you'll get some help soon.

 

Regards.

 

Scott.

[bert-09]

Yes I did, but I'd just like to have as much advise and info as possible. thanks.

[ErikaPNP]

CTC can only be claimed where the claimant or their partner is the main carer for the qualifying child. Although you as a parent have a degree of responsibility as a carer of that child, tax credit consider a main carer to be "someone who is normally answerable for, or called to account for the child" From the limited information you have given, it appears that your ex wife is the main carer given that the children stay with her "most of the time". You could most certainly apply however there may be problems if your ex wife disputes the claim, or if tax credit feel that you are not the main carer for the purposes of a CTC claim. Child benefit cannot be used as a deciding factor per se, but as child benefit is normally paid to the main carer, this could throw suspicion upon the claim. You could phone the helpline for advice but in all honesty, they are call centre employees; they don't actually process claims and are not fully trained in the decision making in a claim, so I'd take anything they say with a pinch of salt. They've given me false information on a number of occasions.

 

I suggest if/when you apply, you make it clear what the position is from the outset to save any possible backlash later on. If you go to the benefits A-Z in the cagmag library, under "C" you will see links to the tax credit manuals which are used by tax credit when deciding claims. You can also search the manuals by inserting key words into the search bar.

 

People are welcome to post on other forums whilst asking the same advice on CAG - we don't keep members on leashes. In fact, I would conclude that it's very important that a person seeks as much advise from as many sources as possible to enable them to balance the information they are given.