# Child Benefit



## oliver222 (Oct 8, 2009)

Little one moved in on 1st December and just wondered how do you go about claiming child benefit. And when filling out forms do I use my surname for little one, or her birth surname as obviously don't have adoption certificate yet.


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## katie c (Jun 15, 2009)

i think i just phoned up. trying to remember if they sent a form or just took details over the phone! i'm sure i must have filled out a form but i dont remember doing so.

you use their birth name, and you change it when the AO goes through.


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## littlepoppy86 (Feb 14, 2014)

Everything for LO is birth name, gp, nursery etc. Get your child benefit sent off ASAP as they don't back date it too much & continue paying the FC it. We lost about £100 of ours as thought would go back to placement date x


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## GERTIE179 (Apr 20, 2005)

We got a form and it's back dated upto 10 or 12 weeks.
Birth name on everything but think there's also a known as.

Congrats on your new addition
X


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## oliver222 (Oct 8, 2009)

Thanks a lot will get organised and sent away.


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## watakerfuffle (Jan 26, 2011)

I believe social services get the child benefit not foster carer. Our social worker sorted it out for us and then we completed a form and it was all very quick. I would confirm with your social worker


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## watakerfuffle (Jan 26, 2011)

I believe social services get the child benefit not foster carer. Our social worker sorted it out for us and then we completed a form and it was all very quick. I would confirm with your social worker


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## Waiting_patiently (Dec 4, 2013)

Hiya, you fill in a form online using the below link (may not work so you may need to google (apply for child benefit)

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/child-benefit-claim-form-ch2

and it will take you to it, you then print off the form etc and post it off with the required info, birth certificate I think it was. You use the childs legal name on the documents and ticking the 'no' option at this stage to 'are you the parent', our FC was never allowed to claim it as its included in their payment from the LA, you apply from the date little one came home, however they called me and wrote to say they actually pay from once the little one has been living with you a week, i.e. our lo came home on the 23rd Sept so our payment started from the 30th Sept.


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## millie:) (Feb 12, 2013)

We got a form from ss which stated our addresses were not to be known or used in documentation think it was when writing to birth parents then we applied online then printed off the documentation and posted it along with the letter think they only pay eight weeks in arrears so don't put it off good luck x


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## GoofyGirl (Apr 1, 2013)

How do you get the birth certificate? Do SS send it to us? 
LOs home in a couple of weeks. 
That's interesting Millie, i.e. the form ensuring your address isn't disclosed to BPs. But is there a risk of that happening? Dont know if they would be contacted regarding the children once they are placed. It worries me if it is the case. Will make sure we get one of those forms too.


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## dreamingofabettertime (Jun 12, 2012)

You need to wait until you have received all the paperwork from social services, this will highlight the need for the child benefit office to be confidential (letter is normally written by Head of Children's Services. Then the letter gets sent to child benefit office where they will send you form. If you have not officially changed the child's name you will have to register as birth name and then after final hearing and name change authorised you apply for adoption certificate and then inform child benefit office of name change, they will then remove all links to previous birth name (you can phone them to make sure they do this). The child benefit office have a specific department that manage adoption so are very compliant at this process and will keep everything confidential to safeguard your family.

So in summary:
1 wait for Social Services letter to confirm placement with you (copy letter for your file)
2 Send off to child benefit office where they will confirm receipt & send out an application form
3 Return completed form
4 Child Benefit will be issued
5 Await any name change through final hearing
6 wait for ratification and then apply for adoption certificate
7 When in receipt of certificate provide benefit office with new name
8 Phone the benefit office to check they have removed any trace of birth name from your file


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## millie:) (Feb 12, 2013)

No don't worry its just for safeguarding birth parents will never know who you are or where you live, we had copies of birth certificate from ss we got copies of all birth certificate medicals etc the morning of starting intros along with all the legal stuff x


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## millie:) (Feb 12, 2013)

The letter was sent in the post but unsure if everyone gets one or just because of our los history,


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## AoC (Oct 28, 2008)

It was slightly different for us (I think it varies as to how LAs handle it).  They'd given us a photocopied leaflet about child benefit with Bug's birth cert, and we phoned up the child benefit office about it and did most of it over the phone, with supporting material sent through the post.


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## littlepoppy86 (Feb 14, 2014)

:-O ss get the child benefit payment! Awful! It should go into a trust fund for LO...

We was definitely told on the phone in May it was only backdated to the date on our form because it was being claimed elsewhere an they can't remove it from them. LO #2 is due in a few weeks an I'm getting that form sent day 1 of placement! X


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## -x-Lolly-x- (Feb 3, 2012)

Ours was backdated to placement date. Think we had to ensure forms were submitted within 6 weeks of little pink coming home but definitely backdated for us, shocking the variations !


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## GoofyGirl (Apr 1, 2013)

Thanks. I hadn't even considered child benefit. Don't know if we are entitled or not but will definitely apply.


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