Not sure what's best to do

happy2017

Last year July the wife and i separated she moved out into a private rental property and her friend moved in to help with the costs shortly after.

The two children live with me full time and have only once stayed over at the mums flat since she moved out.

The mum is now not giving £50 per week which is half the tax credits she receives. She also gives me half of the child benefit each month both paid direct to her.

She says because I borrowed money £300 from her that's she's not giving me the half each week until I pay her.

I really don't know what to do?

annandale

If you have the kids full time surely you should be getting the child benefit and tax credits. Can you not simply inform the tax credits people that you have the kids full time now?

ceecee1

Claim the child benefit and tax credits yourself - it wont be straightforward as she will have to relinquish her claim - but this the the correct way to go

Caz3121

happy2017 wrote: »

The two children live with me full time

The mum is now not giving £50 per week which is half the tax credits she receives. She also gives me half of the child benefit each month both paid direct to her.

why is she claiming child benefit and tax credits if the children do not live with her? Is the tax credits still a joint claim or did she open a new single claim when you separated and claimed the children were staying with her?

Pollycat

+1 to all the above plus you should be claiming child maintenance.

Loz01

You should be claiming tax credit and child benefit and she should be paying you CSA. Why should she be getting the money if they live with you?

FBaby

Not only should you be the one claiming, but by claiming herself, she is doing so fraudulently. She could be asked to pay everything back. For her to then say that she is not giving you the money, money that is neither hers not yours but your children is unbelievable.

Tell her that if she doesn't stop the claim next week, you'll report her for fraud.

TELLIT01

It can take a while to get Child Benefit transferred if the absent parent doesn't end the claim voluntarily. When I worked on Income Support we had to deny IS to the parent who was looking after the child because CB was in payment to somebody else. Horrible thing to have to tell the parent, but those are the rules for IS as lone parent.