Going on maternity leave and husband working abroad

skyepark

Hi all

I am going on maternity leave, my husband works abroad EU and has done for the last 8 weeks and will for the foreseeable future I have been looking at claiming as a single parent but from what I can find this is only possible if both husband and child are abroad?

I have a mortgage that husband pays but I pay everything else. Could I claim for single person council tax. Also how do I get tax credits/ childcare credits for next financial year? Do I have to apply in that financial year as my maternity leave only covers 4 months or am I being unreasonable to try to get anything at all. We aren't high earners at all.

elmer

I can answer the Council Tax query, you can't claim a single person discount as your home is your husbands home and he has an intention to return there.

sorry

elmer

MrsMJ

I think the rules are very different if you are married, especially as your husband pays the mortgage, this would appear as if he intends to return and has financial responsibilities at home, so it may not affect council tax. We are a military family and get no council tax discount when he's on detachment for example.

His income however, may not be included as a recognised income for benefits, if it is paid by an employer oversees (because he won't pay UK tax on it) however if he brings it into a UK bank, this may be classed as an income and he may be taxed on the money he brings in.

Your property will be classed as an asset, so be sure to declare this to avoid an overpayment.

Good luck with your baby!

Guest101

MrsMJ wrote: »

I think the rules are very different if you are married, especially as your husband pays the mortgage, this would appear as if he intends to return and has financial responsibilities at home, so it may not affect council tax. We are a military family and get no council tax discount when he's on detachment for example.

His income however, may not be included as a recognised income for benefits, if it is paid by an employer oversees (because he won't pay UK tax on it) however if he brings it into a UK bank, this may be classed as an income and he may be taxed on the money he brings in.

Your property will be classed as an asset, so be sure to declare this to avoid an overpayment.

Good luck with your baby!

You pay income tax on income you receive in the UK, therefore the husband will not be taxed by bringing money into the UK as income.

questionss

elmer wrote: »

I can answer the Council Tax query, you can't claim a single person discount as your home is your husbands home and he has an intention to return there.

sorry

elmer

I wrote to my council when my husband went to live in the EU, I explained that I would be following him 4months later and that in those 4 months he was likely to return for 3 weekends. I was granted the single person discount. We returned 2yrs later; my husband returned several months before me & again we wrote and he got the discount. We owned the property. It was let whilst we were away and the tenants paid then.