Child Benefit Stopped for NO reason?

confused.con

I rang the Child Benefit Office today to inform them of a change to my banking details. After taking my National Insurance No she casually said: "Oh yes your payments have been held since May".
I had no idea about this as I kinda didn't think I needed to check the money was going in but asked her why this had happened? She said that it did not say why my payments had stopped but that they would start again in December. Her demeanor was very casual and she didn't seemed concerned at all by this, nevertheless that I might give a damn!
She then proceeded to ask me my new bank account details etc as she was concerned (Ha) that the money didn't go into my old account when they decided to resume my payments!!

Still taking this in I asked her again WHY she couldn't tell me how it was my Child Benefit had been stopped? She checked that we still qualified for it (we do) and simply said the following:
WE STOP MAKING YOUR PAYMENTS AND EXPECT YOU TO CONTACT US TO ASK WHY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So the reason for this thread is this:
Firstly if I hadn't been about the change my bank account I would probably never have noticed that I wasn't getting my child benefit.

Secondly, the lady didn't give me the impression that it was a one off, I can't see me being the only parent being ripped off by the government. Is this a new policy - stop their payments and see how long it takes for them to notice???

Has this happened to anyone else??? Please check your bank account and make sure you are getting yours!
I am getting a back payment of £1078.40 next month (Nice early Xmas Pressie!) if that is good enough reason to check!
:huh:

confused.con

DUTR

Have you posted this in the right section?
This board is usually for errant NRP's and wicked PWC's bickering about chld support contributions.

paddedjohn

How old is your kid?

elsien

Anyone who doesn't notice possibly isn't in that great a need of it anyway.

Valli

elsien wrote: »

Anyone who doesn't notice possibly isn't in that great a need of it anyway.

You have put that politely;)

OP - you need to be checking all transactions in and out of your bank account...goodness knows what else you may find. For a start, you may well be paying for Amazon Prime Membership;)