Joint Receipt of Child Benefit

The request was successful.

Dear HM Revenue & Customs,

Have there ever been any cases of separated parents lawfully receiving full or a proportion each of Child Benefit for the same child at the same time?

For example, both parents who have joint custody of a child each receiving an award for Child Benefit.

If so, please provide any references to the Tribunals, Hearings, Court references etc., by which further details of these cases can be sought.

Yours faithfully,

Andrew Hooper

HM Revenue and Customs

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Child Benefit Office, HM Revenue and Customs

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Dear Mr Hooper

Thank you for your email.

Please find attached, our reply to your request for information.

Yours sincerely

Margaret Lloyd
Child Benefit Office

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Reply from our website at:
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/childbenefit/cont...

Website: www.hmrc.gov.uk/childbenefit

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Dear Child Benefit Office,

Thank you for your reply.

I understand that the law states that where more than one person is responsible for a child and each satisfy the entitlement conditions, HMRC can only make payment in any one week to one person for that child. Could you please clarify whether it is possible for each parent with joint custody of a child alternating for a week at a time, to receive Child Benefit for the week they have custody ie. not both receiving Child Benefit for the same week but each receiving payment for alternative weeks?

Has any family ever had an arrangement of alternative periods of custody agreed with HMRC such that the parents alternate the receipt of Child Benefit on a regular basis? If so, please provide details of these arrangements.

Yours sincerely,

Andrew Hooper

Child Benefit Office, HM Revenue and Customs

Thank you for getting in touch with the Child Benefit Office.

Our email service is temporarily unavailable and your message has not been read by an advisor.

For an alternative service, please visit our website at http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/childbenefit/cont...

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(Copy of response sent on 8th February 2011 when your email server was down.)

Dear Child Benefit Office,

Thank you for your reply.

I understand that the law states that where more than one person is responsible for a child and each satisfy the entitlement conditions, HMRC can only make payment in any one week to one person for that child. Could you please clarify whether it is possible for each parent with joint custody of a child alternating for a week at a time, to receive Child Benefit for the week they have custody ie. not both receiving Child Benefit for the same week but each receiving payment for alternative weeks?

Has any family ever had an arrangement of alternative periods of custody agreed with HMRC such that the parents alternate the receipt of Child Benefit on a regular basis? If so, please provide details of these arrangements.

Yours sincerely,

Andrew Hooper

Child Benefit Office, HM Revenue and Customs

Thank you for getting in touch with the Child Benefit Office.

Our email service is temporarily unavailable and your message has not been read by an advisor.

For an alternative service, please visit our website at http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/childbenefit/cont...

show quoted sections

Dear Child Benefit Office,

(Copy of response sent on 8th February 2011 when your email server
was down.)

Thank you for your reply.

I understand that the law states that where more than one person is
responsible for a child and each satisfy the entitlement conditions, HMRC can only make payment in any one week to one person for that child. Could you please clarify whether it is possible for each parent with joint custody of a child alternating for a week at a time, to receive Child Benefit for the week they
have custody ie. not both receiving Child Benefit for the same week but each receiving payment for alternative weeks?

Has any family ever had an arrangement of alternative periods of custody agreed with HMRC such that the parents alternate the receipt of Child Benefit on a regular basis? If so, please provide details of these arrangements.

Yours sincerely,

Andrew Hooper

Child Benefit Office, HM Revenue and Customs

Thank you for getting in touch with the Child Benefit Office.

Our email service is temporarily unavailable and your message has not been read by an advisor.

For an alternative service, please visit our website at http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/childbenefit/cont...

show quoted sections

Dear Child Benefit Office,

(Copy of response sent on 8th February 2011 and several repeats but your email server has been down each time.)

Thank you for your reply.

I understand that the law states that where more than one person is responsible for a child and each satisfy the entitlement conditions, HMRC can only make payment in any one week to one person for that child. Could you please clarify whether it is possible for each parent with joint custody of a child alternating for a week at a time, to receive Child Benefit for the week they have custody ie. not both receiving Child Benefit for the same week but each receiving payment for alternative weeks?

Has any family ever had an arrangement of alternative periods of custody agreed with HMRC such that the parents alternate the receipt of Child Benefit on a regular basis? If so, please provide details of these arrangements.

Yours sincerely,

Andrew Hooper

HM Revenue and Customs

1 Attachment

The information in this e-mail and any attachments is confidential and may
be subject to legal professional privilege. Unless you are the intended
recipient or his/her representative you are not authorised to, and must
not, read, copy, distribute, use or retain this message or any part of it.
If you are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender
immediately.

HM Revenue & Customs computer systems will be monitored and communications
carried on them recorded, to secure the effective operation of the system
and for lawful purposes.

The Commissioners for HM Revenue and Customs are not liable for any
personal views of the sender.

This e-mail may have been intercepted and its information altered.

show quoted sections

Communications via the GSi may be automatically logged, monitored and/or
recorded for legal purposes.

Dear HM Revenue & Customs,

Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.

I am writing to request an internal review of HM Revenue & Customs's handling of my FOI request 'Joint Receipt of Child Benefit'.

My request remains unanswered concerning parents with joint custody receiving child benefit for the weeks that they have the child and/or any other joint benefit arrangements agreed with HMRC.

A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address:
http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/jo...

Yours faithfully,

Andrew Hooper

HM Revenue and Customs

1 Attachment

Dear Mr Hooper
Please accept my sincere apologies for the administrative oversight in
this matter. The final response was drafted and sent out within deadline
electronically from our Child benefit Office on 18 March 2011. On
receipt of your request for a review I looked into the issue and found
that part of the email address had been omitted and so the response did
not reach you. HMRC did not receive an error report on non-delivery so
we were not aware that the response had not reached you. I attach it
herewith. If you are not content with the response you are entitled to
ask for an internal review of the decision and information on how to do
this is included within the letter.

Best wishes

Margaret

Margaret Earing
HMRC Freedom of Information Team
Central Policy Information Strategy
100 Parliament Street
Westminster
London SW1A 2BQ

020 7147 0233 Tuesday, Wednesday & Friday

The information in this e-mail and any attachments is confidential and may be subject to legal professional privilege. Unless you are the intended recipient or his/her representative you are not authorised to, and must not, read, copy, distribute, use or retain this message or any part of it. If you are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender immediately.

HM Revenue & Customs computer systems will be monitored and communications carried on them recorded, to secure the effective operation of the system and for lawful purposes.

The Commissioners for HM Revenue and Customs are not liable for any personal views of the sender.

This e-mail may have been intercepted and its information altered.

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Dear HM Revenue & Customs,

Thank you for a very proactive, helpful and comprehensive response

Yours faithfully,

Andrew Hooper