All benefits go to partner?

Hi , currently my wife claims all the tax credits, childcare vouchers and receives the child benefit payment. As we are seperating,she is renting another property & leaving me to sell the MH & have agreed joint (50/50) custody of our child, am i entitled to claim any thing or even a share?
thank you

Hi Lennox

I'm not sure about tax credits and childcare vouchers, but on child benefit it can only be paid to one parent. If you have more than one child the benefits agency can pay child benefit in respect of one child to one parent, and the benefit for another child to the other parent.

If you want to receive the child benefit, you can apply for it, the benefits agency then send you both forms to determine where the child sleeps, where their possessions are, which address is registered with schools etc and they then decide where to pay it.

If you can I suggest you agree that the child benefit gets paid to a joint account and is used to cover the cost of certain child related items, things like school trips, clubs etc.

Hope you get some info on tax credits and vouchers

S

Hiya

If it's any consolation her CB, CM, CTC and WTC is all counted as her 'Income' and therefore may lessen the need for you to pay spousal maintenance if that is an issue.

I don't beleive any of the benefits can be split and are all paid to the person receiving child benefit.

You need to look carefully at how CSA deal with the issue of calculating payment when there is shared care - it's a bit of a grey area too.

HTH

poppy

we both earn the same, what my wife has suggested is that she keeps claiming all the credits etc,deducts this ammount from the monthly nursery fee's & we split the remainder of the fee's 50/50. we do not claim cm from each other as we have shared custody.
How does this sound?

I assume when you say you earn the same, that this is after she gets the benefits? If so it sounds OK until there is a change in circumstances ie the child starts school, one of your job changes or a new partner appears.

You could agree to review the arrangement on such trigger events occurring

you can both claim childcare vouchers - these are deducted direct from your salary to cover the costs of childcare and there is nothing to stop both parents claiming through their respecive employers (assuming your employer does it). Saving of around £800 each per year if you're a lower rate tax payer, more if higher. A lot of people seem to think you can claim only once, but it's not true - it's a tax dodge/perk (whichever way you look at it!) available to anyone who pays tax through the PAYE system.

I think (not gone into it yet) it's the same on a 50/50 shared care basis for child tax credit/working families tax credit but you would need to check this with them - you need your NI number when you phone them but they are generally quite helpful.

I agree with the previous poster that child benefit is payable only once. So you'll need ot come to an agreement on that one.

lennox wrote:

we both earn the same, what my wife has suggested is that she keeps claiming all the credits etc,deducts this ammount from the monthly nursery fee's & we split the remainder of the fee's 50/50. we do not claim cm from each other as we have shared custody.
How does this sound?

Don't do it!!!!

The person who has the child benefit can contact the CSA and claim child maintenance from the other even in the case of 50/50 share. I would suggest you both have child benefit if you have more than one child that way you can both have the eldest child payment which is a higher amount (sorry not certain if you have more than one child).

I know that things seem on an even keel at the moment (I'm guessing you may both be newly separated and are trying to keep things amicable). So much hinges on the payment of child benefit it is untrue, the Child benefit people in the case of a 50:50 share basis look at whose address the child is registered for the purposes of school and doctors they will then use that to assume that this address is the one for the pwc (parent with care). I know it seems a bit like rocking a boat but this is about protecting YOUR interests for later on in life and not hers. For example why not suggest to her that you have the child benefit paid into your account first? Would she agree probably not.

Sorry if this sounds harsh but you did ask