Working Tax Credit and Child Benefit payment have stopped since 2015

nunu123

Hello to all,

I have been lurking around the MSE website for a while, never really thinking that I would need to use the services of the forum members, how wrong was I!!
I am writing in the hope that someone might be able to help me in a matter relating to Working Tax Credit and Child Benefit payments that I have not been receiving since January 2015.

I am married with 3 children under the age of 16, and was receiving CTC/WTC/CB as a family.
In January 2015, I contacted HMRC regarding a change of circumstances, namely that my husband was going to work in Ireland.
I specifically stated to them that we were not separating, nor getting divorced. It was simply my husband working indefinitely for a while in Ireland. I would be staying in the UK with my 3 children.
I was told that due to this change in circumstances, we would no longer receive WTC and that I would have to end our joint claim for Tax Credits and that I would have to make a new claim as a single parent with 3 children.
I was told that ALL payments would stop until they received my new claim.
ALL payments were stopped. I would check my statements to see if any payments were coming in.
When I saw the Child Tax Credit payments In my account, I was relieved thinking everything was back to normal, or so I thought.....
Un be known to me whilst HMRC had reinstated the Child Tax Credits, they had sneakily stopped paying me Child Benefit payments for my 3 children.
It was only after an appointment with my bank advisor that I found out that I had not been receiving it.
I contacted the Child Benefit Office to discuss the matter, and their response was that according to them I was no longer in the UK, and that they had sent me a letter.
This is an absolute lie.
I have not received a single letter from them informing me that our Child Benefit payments would be stopping, all correspondence I had with them was over the phone.
Surely if I was out of the country as they claim, why was I still receiving Child Tax Credits?

I have been asking for advice on other forums, and have now realised that:

1, I should never have been advised to end my joint claim and make a new claim as a single parentwith three children, My husband was simply working in Ireland. He comes back and forth.

2 Our Working Tax Credits should not have been stopped

3 Child Benefit should not have been stopped

Can some body please advise me on how to deal with this matter. I have sent a letter explaining all of this in detail. I simply received a letter to say that they cannot reconsider the repayment and I can not appeal the decision. It just seems like a bog standard letter.

Where do I go from here?

Icequeen99

How long was your husband away for each time in between visits home?

nunu123

About 2 months, he comes back when the children have their school holidays.

NYM

Does your husband pay tax to HMRC? or is he taxed by the Irish Government?

nunu123

Yes, my husband pays his taxes to the Irish Government

NYM

I really don't have a clue about WTC nor even CTC but have a read of this Tax Credits Manual... to see if it gives you any information that you haven't already had.

I do have to say that I can't see how you would be entitled to Working Tax Credits as your husband/partner isn't paying into the system.

Is there anything the Irish Government pay for cross boarder workers ?

nunu123

Thanks Nym,
This is a great help.