Child Benefit not been paid since birth :(

[Rocco6112]

Hi firstly thanks for accepting me to the forum

 

i came here today on another matter which i'll post about,

 

but this one is because

 

i found out yesterday via a call to income support that Child Benefit hasnt been paid for

my 8 months old child despite me sending in the form and birth certificate 2 weeks after his birth.

 

Have just come off the phone to Child benefit to be told i have to buy a new birth certificate

and send in again with form but that they will only backdate 3 months?!

 

Anyone else know if this is correct or have experience of this as surely they should pay for the

8 months he's been alive and return his certificate.

 

Many thyanks in advance

[id6052]

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/childbenefit/payments-entitlements/payments/understand-award.htm

 

Can you backdate a Child Benefit claim?

 

Your Child Benefit claim can only be backdated for up to three months from the date the Child Benefit Office receives it. To avoid losing any money, it's best to claim Child Benefit as soon as any of the following happen:

1. your child is born
   
2. a child you're responsible for comes to live with you
   
3. you adopt a child who's living with you
   
4. you start paying towards the cost of looking after a child (unless they live with someone else who's already getting Child Benefit)
   

 

The earliest your claim can be backdated is the Monday following your child's date of birth.

 

Example

If you claimed two months after your child was born, the Child Benefit Office could backdate your award from the Monday following your child's date of birth.

But if you didn't claim until four months after they were born, they'd only be able to backdate your award for three months. This means you will lose out on a month's payment.

[estellyn]

I've had several instances when the child benefit section has lost forms - once they lost the same woman's form three times.

 

 

Unfortunately there is no way to prove they lost the form, rather than you didn't send it. You really need to be vigilant with benefit claims to ensure you're being paid as you should be - as 8 months later, you will only get the three month's backdating. Get the form in asap.