child benefit back pay

wix1

Hi All

I wanted to ask about child benefit back pay. Until January 2017, i was living and working abroad yet i paid my NI contributions back in the UK. After our visa application was approved, myself, my wife and our baby daughter (who has a British passport by decent) moved back here in July 2018. I had moved here earlier to work 6 months to apply for the visa. In August i applied for child benefit and inquired as to whether i could be back paid to our baby's birth date. Initially i was told yes, and that my request was passed to head office. When i had no reply, i called and was told it would only be back dated up to 3 months, and in our case only until July when my daughter arrived in the UK. Previous to my application, i had read online that despite living and working abroad, as long as i kept up to my UK NI contributions i was entitled to Child Benefits.

I hope that makes sense. Can anyone advise me if there's anything i can do here? Thanks

[Deleted User]

Child benefit can't be backdated that far. You'll only get 3 months from the date you claimed.

calcotti

_shel wrote: »

Child benefit can't be backdated that far. You'll only get 3 months from the date you claimed.

As confirmed here https://www.gov.uk/child-benefit/how-to-claim

wix1

Yes, but i claimed in August and it was only back dated 1 month back to July because that's the date my daughter entered the UK, which i believe to be incorrect.

pmlindyloo

What nationality are you and where were you working abroad?

wix1

I'm British, and i was working in Vietnam.

calcotti

If your daughter was in Vietnam until July I don't think you can get child benefit prior to then.

https://www.gov.uk/hmrc-internal-manuals/child-benefit-technical-manual/cbtm10010
“The general rule is that to be entitled to Child Benefit, the person claiming and the child/ren or qualifying young person/s they are claiming for must live in the United Kingdom. Short absences abroad for holidays or on business will not affect eligibility. Some people may be eligible even if they, or the child/ren or qualifying young person/s they are claiming for, do not live in the United Kingdom.”

There are then exceptions for EEA national and children in EEA states.

wix1

Thanks for that. I usually find Government descriptions very vague; 'the general rule' & the last line 'Some people may be eligible even if they do not live in the United Kingdom'.

Anyway, thanks for sending me that.

sheramber

wix1 wrote: »

Thanks for that. I usually find Government descriptions very vague; 'the general rule' & the last line 'Some people may be eligible even if they do not live in the United Kingdom'.

Anyway, thanks for sending me that.

read the technical manual for an explanation

The circumstances in which a person is to be treated as being or not being in Great Britain or Northern Ireland is set out in regulations. CBTM10020 onwards provides details.