Husband an Expat overseas

fawd1

my lord, what a lot of vitriol being thrown at OP. She has, as far as I'm aware, not suggested (in fact quite the other way) that she has any intention of claiming CTC or any other benefit other than child benefit. Which, if you go back to the time when it was announced would be means tested, many posters on here were up in arms about.

Now, finding herself in the situation (as many, many others are) where she has to declare income for the purposes of means testing child benefit, she has simply asked if anyone knows what is to be classed as income. As HMRC has already told her that her husbands income isn't taxable, and as he is living abroad, she counts to them as being a single parent, then it is an entirely reasonable question.

Now, to everyone who is calling her greedy etc etc. Just stop it. Although I'm sure you'll all correct me by informing me of exactly how much tax you pay and how you'd never ever do anything even remotely similar (entirely legal by the way) and ask yourself this. Have you ever paid for something cash in hand? Aiding tax fraud. Ever got mates rates? Tax fraud.

Stop being martyrs. If you don't like someone having more money than you, then stop complaining and go and do something about it. Being bitter about someone elses financial position is pointless and says a huge amount about you, and very little about the other person.

I don't begrudge this lady and her family their wealth, or their child benefit. And I'm poor.

MissMoneypenny

ConfusedExpat wrote: »

Our houses are paid for and I am not seeking anything that is not due. If nothing is due then fine, but surely all should recieve what they are entitled to?

You won't get the new Universal Credit then (which is replacing Tax Credits) as you have over 16k.

For Tax Credits (which are income based welfare payments) savings didn't matter. This anomaly is getting corrected with Universal Credit*

*Universal Credit is replacing the welfare payments Child Tax Credits; Working Tax Credits; Income Support; income based JSA; income based ESA; housing.

zoominatorone

ball park figure is fifty thousand isn't it? Therefore if hubby is on more than that it isn't rocket science to work out they (she ) can't get it.

On the other hand, if times are so hard they need the £20 for first and £13 for subsequent, then who are we to judge if she wants to spend it all on Harrods food and she feels she has to downgrade to Waitrose!

MissMoneypenny

fawd1 wrote: »

She has, as far as I'm aware, not suggested (in fact quite the other way) that she has any intention of claiming CTC or any other benefit other than child benefit.

From her opening post in this thread.

ConfusedExpat wrote: »

I am now back in the UK with our 3 children and wish to complete the normal tax, benefits admin as required.

It would appear that with my husband outside the UK tax system and me inside it I am treated as a single mother!

fawd1

MissMoneypenny wrote: »

From her opening post in this thread.

Yes but she has then gone out of her way to point out that she is only referring to child benefit. Nothing else at all.

MissMoneypenny

ConfusedExpat wrote: »

My children have gone to private schools in Dubai for the past 3 years, believe it or not they get holidays and they travel home to the UK with me for them. HMRC rules mean that we spend too long in the UK to be considered anything other than resident.

HMRC rules aren't the same as university, Student Loans and NHS residency rules.

The NHS wouldn't count you and your children as resident (free NHS) during those trips to the UK as you aren't in the UK long enough during those holidays. Having a British passport doesn't mean you get free NHS if you don't live in the UK for 9(?) months a year.

Are you sure the university knows you only come to the UK during the school holidays? And that you and your children live in Dubai and your son attends school there?

There have been posts on the expat forums, where they thought their children had home fees and then got a bill as an international student, at a later date. You son's school record in Dubai, is a giveaway. One of the university staff were saying they have several chances to find out who really should be charged international fees, even after the student has started university.

If you/your son, haven't given the university all the facts; in an attempt to get 'home fees'; then they are allowed to change his status to 'international student' at a later date for his entire course.

If you have mananged to find one that knows all this and is still willing to take him at home fees, then good for you; but your son won't get anything from Student Loans because he will fail their 3 year residency rule; as he and his parents live in Dubai for the past 3 years and he went to school there. Claiming you are low income in a effort to get over this 3 year rule, won't work.

justlooking2012

Rich, comfortable or poor

A scrounger is still a scrounger, no matter how you dress it up

dam_fools

ConfusedExpat wrote: »

I would appreciate any help of guidance on the following:

My husband works overseas and has done so for the past 4 years.

I am now back in the UK with our 3 children and wish to complete the normal tax, benefits admin as required.

It would appear that with my husband outside the UK tax system and me inside it I am treated as a single mother!

Can anyone tell me how to work out my UK household income? A simple question but I fear a complicated answer. Unless I can come up with a figure it is impossible to complete basic forms or applications/ i.e. with a threshold for child benifit being based on household income but with my husband overseas his income is deemed not relevant.

Confused.....

I wish you the best of luck in your return and dealings with whatever your entitlement allows.

Am sure you have ancestors in the UK, whom have paid into the system in more ways than one, unlike many who come and drain the system from many parts of the world.

Good luck, and dont listen to those with eyes of envy.

notanewuser

No envy here. Thanks to a brilliant accountant we're not funding very much of the welfare state anymore. Been sick of tens of thousands of our hard earned going to scroungers, rich and poor over the past few years. It's almost as good as being in Dubai.

Bollotom

One puzzling aspect throughout this thread. The OP is banging on about her partner not having to pay tax. Okay, but surely she will still have to declare their total income to various benefits agencies, won't she? Tax not paid doesn't mean benefits can't be claimed, but the amount of "Income" does. Or is she treated as a single person in all respects? If this is the case I am going to move to South Africa and my wife can stay here and claim all the benefits our joint income doesn't allow at present. :cool: