Claiming child benefit need help pls on ILR visa

[cheers2boss]

Hi,

Myself, wife and kid we all 3 got ILR in the month of Mar 2010. I want to know whether we can apply for child benefit? I have seen the hmrc website and I think we can apply for Child Benefit, can anyone confirm the same please?

I am working whereas my wife isn't, so on whose name should we claim the child benefit (mine or my wife), will it be safe to claim on wife's name, need experts suggestion please?

Thanks

[John]

The answer to your question is actually very simple! Look at the ILR visas .... and the conditions on those visas! Arrh what, there are no conditions! Exactly! So there are no problems claiming benefits that your circumstances dictate you are entitled to.

Who should claim the Child Benefit? CB is claimed by just one person, and it can be either parent living with the child. However there is, in effect, a convention that CB is claimed by the mother, but up to the two of you to decide who should be the CB claimant.

Also, don't overlook also claiming Tax Credits, unless the family income is nicely over £50K per year. Tax Credits, in respect of a couple living together, must be in the joint names of the couple.