Step daughter coming to live with us - advice on benefits/what we should do

carlsberggal

We are having my step-daughter come and live with us from today because her Mum has thrown her out – she’s 15 years old. I have contacted the Education Authority here and they have a space for her in our local grammar school and are sending out the paperwork - does anyone know how long this roughly takes as obviously her schooling it important - she lives at the moment 2 1/2 hours drive away from us. What important/relevant information do we need to try and get from her Mum e.g. passport/birth certificate? Does she (the Mum) have a right to refuse us her child benefit number so we can get the ball rolling on getting it changed to us and also how do we go about informing working family tax credits? I have a suspicion that her Mum may not be so forthcoming in relinquishing the benefits that she receives for her daughter. Husband will cancel maintenance standing order once she is here. Do we need to do anything else? Any help will be much appreciated.

Oldernotwiser

You cannot claim CB/CTC for her until the mother has relinquished the CB.

Will she have to sit some kind of entrance exam for the grammar school?

Her NHS number will be useful (but not essential) for you to register her with a local GP.

Make sure she brings her GCSE coursework with her, in case it can be transferred over.

(Apologies for the jottings.)

zagfles

Put in a claim for child benefit and tax credits asap. If her mother disputes it see http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/manuals/tctmanual/TCTM02205.htm, if she's living with you and going to school near you and 2 hours drive away from her mother there should be no contest.

Also put in a claim for child maintenance from the mother (not really sure how you do this - suggest you ask in the child support forum).

carlsberggal

Thanks for the replies older and zagfles - I thought this might be the case so we won't receive it as her Mum will not willingly relinquish it. Never thought of her coursework; so I will make sure we get that too. Didn't think of her NHS number - so thank you for that. The school may still be called a grammar school - but no exams are needed. It will help her that my 2 neices are there so she will know someone. Never thought of putting in a claim for child maintenance.

RAS

You can ring the CSA re child maintenance but they tend to argue that you only get it if you have Child Benefit, so you need to make that call first. That then halts mother's entitlement until the new claim is assessed.

Errata

Does she use a computer at her mums? If so, give her a large memory stick or external hard drive so she can transfer all her own 'stuff' to it, ready to use on your computer when she moves in.

joolsybools

If the mum will not relinquish it then think about reporting her to benefit fraud as she will in effect be committing this once the young person is living with you - see http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/BenefitsTaxCreditsAndOtherSupport/BenefitFraud/DG_10014876

Extract:

What is benefit fraud?


Benefit fraud is when someone is dishonest in order to receive benefit or knowingly fails to report a change in their circumstances. This includes people who:

• do not report they are now living with a partner or that their partner has started work
• do not report they are receiving other benefits
• do not declare their savings or do not declare the right amount of savings
• are claiming for children who have left home
  
• do not report they have started work, or started to earn money
• do not report they have inherited money
• do not report they are going abroad, living abroad, or have changed address

zagfles

carlsberggal wrote: »

Thanks for the replies older and zagfles - I thought this might be the case so we won't receive it as her Mum will not willingly relinquish it.

She can't just hang onto it for a child who doesn't live with her!! See:

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/childbenefit/keep-up-to-date/changes-to-report/what-to-report.htm#2

Never thought of putting in a claim for child maintenance.

You should. It comes as quite a shock to some mothers to find that it's not just fathers who have to pay child maintenance

carlsberggal

Thanks for all the info. Errata - her Mum won't let her back in the house so a memory stick won't be any good unfortunately. Maybe her half sister could do it for us though, will try and speak to her today when she has finished work

Oldernotwiser

Remember that (unless she drops out of school at 16) CB and CTC can be paid thoughout her non advanced tertiary education (A levels/BTEC/NVQ etc), until her 20th birthday, so it's important to get this sorted out.

As others have said, her mother will be committing benefit fraud if she carries on claiming for a child for whom she's no longer responsible,

allen35

Just to add:

Priority rules where there is more than one eligible claimant

One claimant is already receiving child benefit

If one of the eligible claimants is already receiving child benefit for the child, that person has priority over any other eligible person who makes a later claim. If the later claim would otherwise have priority, child benefit continues to be paid on the existing claim for three weeks following the week in which the later claim is made. After that, it will be paid on the later claim.
People living with the child or young person

A person who is eligible for child benefit because s/he has the child or young person living with her/him, has priority over a person who is eligible because s/he contributes to the maintenance of the child or young person.

Once the claim has processed it has been known to take up to 8 weeks, after putting in a claim for tax credits both parties will receive a pro forma asking questions about which school and which gp child is registered with so do this as a priority, if child has a bank account get her to change address.

You both will have to sign a declaration regarding information supplied and once this has been received by HMRC tax credits should transfer but they do request that the two parties try and sort it out first so if still on terms with the mother write/telephone/email asking her to relinquish benefits and if no reply state this on the form.