Child Benefit claim having briefly lived abroad

Jimi.K.

Hi all,
My wife is currently filling in the child benefit form (CH2) for our first born. Question 14 asks:

Have you always lived in the UK?
By this we mean you've never lived outside the UK
Yes or No

My wife is British and was born in the UK, but lived in Asia with her family for 2 years as a teenager (15 to 17 years old). 

It seems obvious to me that the only way to answer this question is to say 'No',  however when asking her parents the precise date she arrived the UK (required for Q17) they seem fairly adamant that she should answer 'Yes'. They think it's a grey area as she was born in the UK and only lived abroad relatively briefly as a child, and are worried saying 'No' would make her ineligible for the claim. They think the question is really aimed at non-UK nationals who have immigrated here. 

Who's right? 

Thanks!

calcotti

I'm not familiar with CB rues but if I were filling it in I would say No and when asked for a date put a date in and write a note alongside it saying the date is approximate and an explanation of the circumstances.
One of the reasons I prefer paper forms to online applications - you can write notes and explanations which online applications often don't allow.
Be interested what others think.

tboo

Jimi.K. said:

Hi all,
My wife is currently filling in the child benefit form (CH2) for our first born. Question 14 asks:

Have you always lived in the UK?
By this we mean you've never lived outside the UK
Yes or No

My wife is British and was born in the UK, but lived in Asia with her family for 2 years as a teenager (15 to 17 years old). 

It seems obvious to me that the only way to answer this question is to say 'No',  however when asking her parents the precise date she arrived the UK (required for Q17) they seem fairly adamant that she should answer 'Yes'. They think it's a grey area as she was born in the UK and only lived abroad relatively briefly as a child, and are worried saying 'No' would make her ineligible for the claim. They think the question is really aimed at non-UK nationals who have immigrated here. 

Who's right? 

Thanks!

Are there no notes with the claim form?

Here it states,

This question is about the country you’ve always lived in.The UK is England, Wales,Scotland and Northern Ireland. It does not include the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands.Do not include any countries that you’re visiting, for example on holiday or for work purposes.

Rather confusing if you have lived elsewhere for 2 years.

I would say tick no, then include an explanation.

xylophone

My wife is British and was born in the UK, but lived in Asia with her family for 2 years as a teenager (15 to 17 years old). 

Then quite clearly the answer to the question Have you always lived in the UK? must be No.

Babybelles

I was older than your wife when I lived abroad for a year. I just stated No when applying for CB & all was ok

TELLIT01

I don't understand how the parents think the correct answer is that they have always lived in the UK when they lived abroad for 2 years.  Even the terminology used in the thread title is inaccurate as 2 years is not a brief period.  They must answer No to the question as to do anything else is quite simply lying on the application form and that can have serious consequences.