Child Benefit - back dating a claim

[eforegg]

Hi

 

Wonder if anyone has any experience of the above. Long story short however recently separated and my ex-partner had been receiving child benefit for our son. Halloween last year our 12 year son came to live with me and has lived with me full time ever since. She does not and never has contributed to his upkeep since he came to stay with me.

 

Up until middle of January his mum had nothing to do with him, and since then has been seeing him for a few hours most Sundays. It wasn't until February when social services had come to see me about issues with our son and his relationship with his mum and her boyfriend that they had mentioned me claiming benefit. I contacted his mum and after a few weeks as she never responded (as is her way, but thats another story) I made a claim to benefits agency to have child benefit transferred to myself.

 

They have now started paying child benefit but are not back dating.

 

Has anyone had an experience of appealing the decision. I thought the whole point of child benefit is the fact its for the benefit of the child. If he doesn't live with you and you make no contribution to his upkeep surely it should be a no brainer or am I being naive?

 

Thanks in advance for any pointers/guidance you can offer

[flumps1976]

The Child Benefit will only be paid to you from the a date determined by a couple of factors.

Firstly HMRC will consider he date that Child Benefit has already been paid to (to your ex partner).

They will then need to confirm that she supports your application to claim Child Benefit and would ask her confirm that she relinquishes her claim in favour of you.

Backdating Child Benefit would only be applicable too in the even that nobody was already claiming and actually in receipt of payments and I'm pretty certain that backdating is now limited to a maximum of 1 month for HMRC administered benefits/tax credits.

[eforegg]

Hi

 

Thanks for the reply, I wasn't aware backdating was limited to one month now. I appreciate everything you are saying my issue with the decision is why should somebody be allowed to claim a benefit which in essence is for the benefit of another if they no longer are contributing to that persons life. It seems totally wrong. My son has not seen any benefit of that, I can assure you of that. His mum might want to see him for a day a week now but for nearly 3 months she had no niterest, however was quite happy to accept some money form the government for supposedly looking after him. I guess thats life and no one ever said it was meritorious