Claiming Child Benefit whilst in NZ (from UK)

[Do B Brief]

Evening all

Does anyone know what the score is on continuing to receive Child Benefit (ex Family Allowance)?

We are (now) living and working in NZ (work permit) and I have just notified the Inland Revenue regarding our Tax Credit.

They have just cancelled this as we were allowed to be out of the country for up to 8 weeks before this ceases (we are now in week 7 so good timing).

Asked regarding Child Benefit and was advised to go elsewhere on the Internet.

They all want phone calls to queues that keep you on for nearly 1/2 hour so I thought I'd ask you lot :-)

So what does happen to Child Benefit whilst working away from the UK and not paying into their system?

Thanks in advance everyone.

Dave

[Smiler]

Dave is this any help??

child.benefit@hmrc.gsi.gov.uk it's got links for people living abroad.

Which is you Yeeeeee!!!!!!!!!

If not and they won't accept email from abroad. I can happily ask the question for you from here.


Deborah

[Lisa T]

I've been told that you can legally get Child Benefit for 6 months when you are not in the country and then you have to tell them. Don't know what happens if you still leave your UK bank account open - how would they ever know......

[Do B Brief]

Thanks for this info.

Smiler, this is an email address, do you have an alternative link?

I have emailed them anyway.

Cheers

[Smiler]

http://www.direct.gov.uk/Homepage/fs/en

is the home page and I mailed you the email because the child benefit peeps seem to block people from abroad contacting them otherwise. Not daft are they.

I'll second what Lisa says too.

D

[Paul]

There was a very long and rather heated debate about this subject on another forum a month ago or so which may provide info. I won't post details on here as I believe not good etiquette to do so.

The long and short of it is that you are generally entitled to claim up to 6 months if you are moving abroad temporarily and you tell the Inland Revenue with your full circumstances.
Personally I think if you have residence and you are looking to work, buy house etc I believe this would be seen as a permanent move and you wouldn't be entitled to it. I guess the only sure fire way is to contact the Child benefit agency with the full story and get a verdict

The main crux of the rest of the argument in that thread was about the moral issue of claiming a benefit from a country you are no longer paying into............

Hope this helps (pm me if you want more details of other thread)

[Nic in NZ]

hi,
We were told we could claim for 8 weeks the same as the tax credit thing but when i phoned them in week 7 they said fine thank you and then tried to claim it back!!!!
So it seems that if you are comming here for good it would be a big fat NO

sorry

Nic

[Do B Brief]

The definitive answer to UK Child Benefit!
That should clear one or two things up then eh?

>
> Thank you for your email.
>
> You must tell us straight away if you leave the United Kingdom (UK)
> permanently or for an absence that is likely to last for more than a
> year when you leave.
>
> Please provide the following information so I can tell you about the
> payment of your Child Benefit.
>
> 1. Your Child Benefit number or the National Insurance number of the
> person claiming Child Benefit.
>
> 2. Please give the exact date that you left the United Kingdom.
>
> 3. Have you gone abroad temporarily or permanently? If temporarily,
> is your absence likely to be longer than 52 weeks?
>
> 4. Why have you left the UK?
>
> 5. Have you kept a home in the UK?
>
> Yours sincerely,
>
> Child Benefit Office (GB)

[StevieD]

Why have you left the UK? Jeez that would take a long time to tell them that wouldn't it!