Child Benefit in Leap Years - 52 weeks paid vs 53 weeks on Self Assessment Tax Return!

Juno_Moneta

Ok hopefully this is a simple one - although different people have different numbers of children - the principle should be the same...

So - I have 3 children and in the 2020/21 tax year received 13 payments of 195.80 each, totaling 2545.40.
When divided by 52 weeks this gives 48.95 per week.

I used 2545.40 on my SATR, however my accountant rejected it saying the benefit "due" in 2020/21 was actually 2594.35. I quickly realised this amount was 48.95 * 53

Sure enough looking on the HMRC website their calculator also says my 2020/21 CB should be 2594.35. Fine. A leap year. I get it.

However I have only received payments totaling 2545.40 - so where is my missing 48.95?

I assumed it would be paid on top of my next CB payment this month - but no, just the correct slightly higher 2021/22 amount for 3 children, nothing extra.

So there's the puzzle - HMRC paid me exactly 2545.40 but I am forced to put 2594.35 on my SATR and pay back a higher amount (earnings >50k so Higher Income charge applies).

This seems a ridiculous situation - paying back money I was never given in the first place!

Surely everyone who gets CB is affected - so I tried googling it and there is surprisingly little information about it - even when the last leap year occurred in 2016.

So my simple questions to the MSE community are: 

1) Should I have been paid 2545.40 for 52 weeks or 2594.35 for 53 weeks in 2020/21?
2) Is there any hope of getting the missing 48.95 for week 53 or does this never actually happen?
3) Has anyone else noticed they have to put a larger amount on their SATR than they actually received?

Small amount - but good to understand it. Especially before 2024! 
Cheers

Caz3121

this from 2016 may help
https://www.accountingweb.co.uk/any-answers/child-benefit-52-or-53-weeks-0

Juno_Moneta

Caz3121 said:

this from 2016 may help
https://www.accountingweb.co.uk/any-answers/child-benefit-52-or-53-weeks-0

Thanks - useful read. 

But it just appears to confirm that I put the 53 week total on my SATR and am entitled to 53 weeks of payments. 
However only got 52 weeks of payments - and I suspect I'm not the only one in the UK...

Could this be an overlooked HMRC error?!

Caz3121

There were 53 Mondays in the 20/21 tax year
I suspect if you do the calculations over a 4 year period it will all work itself out...what's due v's payment made....as per the other thread "Those four-weekly payments don't necessarily represent benefits for the same tax year"

Juno_Moneta

As I do a SATR every year luckily I have a record of last few years of CB payments - still tracking at 52 weeks equivalent every year so far - I'm starting to assume that there is no missing 48.95 - even though I will pay it back in HICBC tax. 

So far it looks like leap years are a nice little earner for HMRC!