School Application - Child Benefit Letter

[Angelina]

Hi ED parents

Secondary school offer needs Child Benefit letter of entitlement, but HMRC don't send them out.

How are we supposed to get around this?

has anyone a solution?

Thanks

[Bic Basher]

https://www.gov.uk/child-benefit-number

[Angelina]

thanks Bic Basaher, but this is where I get stuck....

The page states

"You can?t get written proof of Child Benefit from the Child Benefit Office."

and my letter of entitlementis so old that the address is out of date :-(

[mrs.lotte]

I opted out of CHB when it became means tested. I don't have any paperwork. Anybody know what to do in those circs?! Not finding the HMRC website very enlightening

Thanks

[Pugwash]

can you not show proof of payment? Your bank statement should indicate this clearly?

[Ellie31]

We had to provide this for our Primary School Application. Whether you claim Child Benefit or not you need a letter to state this from HMRC (has to be dated in the last year). I called the below number and they sent one in the post. Don't let them fob you off, this is where you get it from.

* Child benefit letters can be requested by calling HMRC 0300 200 3100. To speak to an advisor, respond as follows to the recorded questions: 1. "Child Benefit" 2. "Speak to an advisor" 3. "Education" 4. "Yes" 5. "No". Confirm to the advisor that the letter is required to support your school application.

[Coach Beth]

I just rang them up a few minutes ago - got through to an adviser within 5 minutes and spoke to an adviser who has authorised the letter to be sent to me - it should arrive within 3 weeks she said. Have your National Insurance number ready as they need it. They said on the recording if you need it for housing benefit or another reason you can show your bank statement but just ignore that and hang on for an adviser - they will send the letter out if you need it to confirm your child's secondary school place.

[mrs.lotte]

Ah wish I had seen Ellie's short cut guide before hanging on the line this morning. I was told that because I have opted out of CHB the request for a letter has to go to some sort of head office and will take up to 4 weeks (uh it has to be provided by 23rd March!)

[redjam]

Am I the only person who thinks this is utterly insane?! We also opted out of child benefit when the changes came in several years ago but luckily I am anally retentive so have hung on to the bit of paper that confirmed we'd done so. But there was no reason at the time to think I'd ever need it again so I'm sure you're not the only person who'll need to get a new letter, mrs.lotte.

Talk about government departments creating paperwork for themselves! There must be so many other ways they can confirm your child is who you say they are and where you live without going via this route, given that so many people will have opted out years ago.

[loveED86]

Just requested my letter too , did not have to wait too long to speak to someone.

[Ellie31]

I know, it is so frustrating. For our application we had to provide so many supporting docs as we had recently moved house. You might want to check the requirement with Southwark though - our letter had to be dated in the last year.

redjam Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Am I the only person who thinks this is utterly

> insane?! We also opted out of child benefit when

> the changes came in several years ago but luckily

> I am anally retentive so have hung on to the bit

> of paper that confirmed we'd done so. But there

> was no reason at the time to think I'd ever need

> it again so I'm sure you're not the only person

> who'll need to get a new letter, mrs.lotte.

>

> Talk about government departments creating

> paperwork for themselves! There must be so many

> other ways they can confirm your child is who you

> say they are and where you live without going via

> this route, given that so many people will have

> opted out years ago.

[devsdev]

After 18 minutes on hold I was told (by a very lovely lady) that because we've never claimed any child benefits (or sent a letter saying we're not going to claim) she has nothing on the system about us and I need to write to the Child Benefit Office. Luckily we only need to apply next January so I have time to get this done! If anyone else is in a similar boat here is the address and details needed in the letter:

Child Benefit Office

P.O. Box 1

Newcastle-upon-Tyne

NE88 1AA

Include name, address, phone number, NI number and that you need confirmation that you have not applied for or claimed child benefit for a certain period.

If this is wildly incorrect then happy to have someone correct me!

[SEnewbie]

Thanks Devsdev

I also called them & as we haven't claimed child benefit either, they are sending up a letter to state this within 4 weeks.

We cannot opt out as we never opted in. The changes came into effect just before my child was born.

Hopefully this will be ok for schools? We are also applying next year.

[devsdev]

So is HMRC sending you the letter or Child Benefits Office doing this? If the former how strange that they couldn't do it for me! Ah well, at least we have a year to sort this out!

[SEnewbie]

I called the number above on Ellie31's post. I assume HMRC? Who does the letter need to come from? Very new to this as never claimed child benefit. What a mess they have created with these changes!