Hi,
I had similar problems when I was first single, when a child is born (I feel a song coming on) the mother is automatically then entitled to receive the child benefit, as in her name goes on the book and not the fathers, getting this changed later is a nightmare of bureaucracy where at every turn you are are faced with disbelieving faces and basically have to drag your five month old and your one and half year old round with you as proof that, yes! you do in fact have them and it isn't all an elaborate con to get money out of the government. With me, luckily I was able to live with my sister for the FOUR!! odd months it took them to sort it all out and I basically hand NO money, they would not give me my child tax credit until the child benefit was in my name, and they wouldn't give me JSA as I was claiming with kids that meant I was claiming for income support and they wouldn't give me that seeing as they wouldn't accept that I had the kids because the child benefit wasn't in my name, because of this they put me in the left work voluntarily category.... and insult to injury once it was finally transferred to my name and all the pegs fell into place and yippee I was going to get all this money... there is this bizarre rule where it is still! automatically paid to the other parent for another two weeks. So that was yet another two weeks where I got nothing.
Bastards!
This transfer on the child benefit book took for ever, don't know why I can only assume it had something to do with my wife being awkward.... mumble.. mumble... mumble..
Do you have any official bodies working with you, CAFRCASS or the police or social services or anyone? I had Child protection police and CAFCASS and a social worker who both gave me numbers to give to people while dealing with the situation.
Get used to it though, the world isn't yet ready to deal with single male parents on an equal level.. You will be confronted by people working in organisations where it is generally the man who is seen as being in the wrong and you just wont be fitting into their world view and it will upset them that they have to start thinking outside of it.
It's all worth it in the end though : )
Good luck : )
P.S. I'm not bitter.. mumble.. mumble..
Dear lord, I'm so stunned to be reading your posts (mark mc and bubblegum).
I think that's the best thing about this board, you learn so much.
Mark - it's great to see you. I really do hope that getting MPs involved can help get this sorted.
Hello mark mc
The others have given you some great information. I am surprised you have got the Child Tax Credit as thst does not usually kick in until you are the one with the entitlement to Child Benefit. Therefore, that says to me that your entitlement has been accepted, and noe they have to do the admin part, humph only 144 days :shock:
At the bottom of the page I am giving you a link to,, there is the address of the Director of the service, to whom official complaints can be made http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/childbenefit/aboutus.htm
Phone your MP. They are taking the piss!!
btw - I have a feeling the original resident parent has to give up the CB before you can take it on, but I'm not sure. Maybe CAB before MP?