Child benefit not paid for 18 months! 25 February at 8:32AM in Benefits & tax credits 3 replies 322 views

moneysaver2011

I've just realised that payments for my 17 year old daughter stopped in September 2021. We contacted HMRC to tell them that she was staying in fulltime education and the operator told us that he'd sorted it so we didn't need to do anything else. We also get benefit for two younger children and I assumed the amount we were receiving was correct. HMRC have told us they can start a new claim but can only back date it 3 months. I'm pee'd off with myself for not noticing sooner! Is there anything I can do to get the money we are owed (over £1000). The mistake was at their end and surely there should be a log of our original conversation. Thanks

poppy12345

Are you sure you rang them to report the changes? Are you also claiming Tax credits? If so was it those you rang and not child benefit? Although they can sometimes share information, its your responsibility to report all changes.

NedS

Normally Child Benefit send out a form in early summer for you to complete if your child is staying in education giving the name of the school/college, the course and the dates. Did you complete and return such a form? If so, did you keep a copy?

Otherwise I don't there's much you can do other than make a new claim and ask it to be backdated 3 months and chalk it up to experience. I think you have to take some responsibility not noticing for 6 months that you weren't being paid., but at least you can get 3 months of it backdated.

moneysaver2011

Thanks for the replies. We never received a form but I'd assumed by telling them and them confirming it had been sorted that it had actually been sorted. It's only cause I noticed today what the actual amounts should be that I realised there was a discrepancy. She's been in college 18 months, not 6 lol. Ti answer the other question, we don't claim tax credits.