child benefit

does anyone have any similar experience of this problem, my wife has left, taking with her the fund in which she accrued child benefit in our childrens names, the youngest child has just turned 17 as he is not in further education and is an apprentice/trainee tradesperson the benefit ceased at 16 yrs, however his wages are very low, and I feel the monies/surplus of unused child benefit is rightly his, do I have any chance of shopping her to the benefit fraud line? she refuses to hand it over to him or me to administer, she bizarly claims SHE needs it!

As far as I am aware there is nothing stopping a parent from spending child benefit on fags, booze, gambling debts or anything else. It isn't fraud as the benefit is universal (ie you don't have to prove you need it).


If the fund is in her name and not the children's, then it should be part of the marital assets to be divided equally between you.

thanks for that, but this is account that was set up to link to the revenue when the monthly payments were paid directly into it
surely that proves it's my sons child benefit as the paper trail is clear and unambigious

Yes it does. But there's no law saying that it has to be spent to benefit the child as far as I am aware. In fact I know of some parents who send their cb to charity.

While you were together you were clearly able to fund your son's needs without using the cb.
I do understand your frustration but I don't think there is much that you can do.

CB is still payable in certain circumstances for children after the age of 16, this might help you to see if cb is still payable for your son - but the benefit would go to his mother and not him.

www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits...ldbenefits/DG_073770

thanks Nell, appreciate your views