Child Tax Credits and parent working overseas

Voyager2002

Hello all,

I hope that someone can help me confirm the advice I have been given on the telephone by HMRC (since they got one details wrong):

At present I am working outside the EU, and my wife is receiving Tax Credits for our two (older) teenage children. However, she needs to leave for China for an indefinite period, so the two of them will be living on their own in the UK. Adult relatives will visit to supervise them, but will not actually be living with them.

I telephoned HMRC to ask whether tax credits could still be paid to support them, and mentioned that I expect to return to the UK in April or earlier. I was told that this meant that I could make a claim since I was going to be returning to the UK. I now doubt whether this is correct, since the agent who told me this also promised to send a claim pack to me overseas; even placed me on hold for a short time while she checked that they could mail a claim pack out of the UK; then confirmed that she would indeed send it to me. It was only later, when the form did not come and I contacted my MP, that I was told quite definitely that they are not allowed to send claim forms overseas. If she got such a basic detail wrong (after checking) then I wonder what else she got wrong.

Any ideas for other possible solutions? I considered asking whether the older of the children (18, but in full-time further education and so eligible for support) could receive the tax credits, but apprently no-one can receive tax credits for their own support. Another possibility would be for my ex-wife, the mother of one of the children, to make a claim for them, but since she lives in another city I wonder whether that would be accepted.

Any thoughts?

Oldernotwiser

Voyager2002 wrote: »

I considered asking whether the older of the children (18, but in full-time further education and so eligible for support) could receive the tax credits, but apprently no-one can receive tax credits for their own support. Another possibility would be for my ex-wife, the mother of one of the children, to make a claim for them, but since she lives in another city I wonder whether that would be accepted.

Any thoughts?

Not nitpicking but do you mean that the 18 year old is in higher education, as this makes a difference?

Voyager2002

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

Not nitpicking but do you mean that the 18 year old is in higher education, as this makes a difference?

It does indeed make a difference, but this is FE (Art Foundation Course).

Oldernotwiser

Voyager2002 wrote: »

It does indeed make a difference, but this is FE (Art Foundation Course).

Do you mean she's eligible for student support or WTC support.

krisskross

So you need to know whether you can claim child benefits and tax credits whilst neither parent is living or working in the UK or EU?

How are the youngsters going to manage financially if this is not possible?

Voyager2002

I mean that she is eligible for WTC support.

And yes, if this is not possible we will have big problems.

DanE2010

If your wife is going out the country for longer than 8 consequtive weeks then yes the tax credits will stop, she will need to inform them before she leaves. Forms for tax credits can be sent abroad - so not sure where your MP got his info from. She need not of issued you the pack tho because your not back until April so no point having the form, for a start if you come back after 6th of April you will have the wrong form anyways as it will be the new tax year, would of just been easier to ask you to call for a form when you back in the uk.
In regards to your eldest claiming for that wouldnt be allowed either, and as long as he is in Full time NON ADVANCED education ( Further education, A levels, Btec National Diploma etc) then he would still qualify, so if he is in ADVANCED education - re University level which is classed as Higher education then he would not longer be classed as a child for tax credit purposes and would need to apply for funding himself in the form of student loans etc.