How do SW know we were abroad? Child benefit stopped

Victor McDade

This isn't a moan, we were out of the country longer than planned, non-EU, so the payments were stopped and they have requested passports, flight bookings etc. What I'm wondering is what info are SW privy to that they know we were out of the country?

FloatingVoter

Victor McDade wrote: »

This isn't a moan, we were out of the country longer than planned, non-EU, so the payments were stopped and they have requested passports, flight bookings etc. What I'm wondering is what info are SW privy to that they know we were out of the country?

Any Facebook updates ?

Victor McDade

Nope, we were in China, no social media at all!

But they know the return date so maybe they have access to airline records?

haveringchick

Victor McDade wrote: »

This isn't a moan, we were out of the country longer than planned, non-EU, so the payments were stopped and they have requested passports, flight bookings etc. What I'm wondering is what info are SW privy to that they know we were out of the country?

Did you remove a child from school?

Call me Al

What would SW want your passport for?
To answer your specific question, they sometimes issue letters that you need to complete and return within 28 days. If they don't receive the latter your CB payment is stopped.

Are they looking for you to reimburse them?

Cherry Blossom

It is very common for Chinese nationals living here to go home for extended periods of time without notifying them so they get lists from the airport of people that come back in through border control.

haveringchick

Call me Al wrote: »

What would SW want your passport for?
To answer your specific question, they sometimes issue letters that you need to complete and return within 28 days. If they don't receive the latter your CB payment is stopped.

Are they looking for you to reimburse them?

They can request more or less limitless evidence in order to establish the facts
The OP says they were in China for say, 12 weeks, how do CB know where they were?
For all they know they've been working in Australia for 6 months!
If they've been in China for 12 weeks, or whatever, there'll be stamps in they're passports.

Victor McDade

Yeah that's it, but they're also looking for info such as my P60 which seems a bit much.
They're looking into the situation, at the moment they haven't asked for us to repay them but that's likely as we were gone for almost 3 months.

That's interesting that they get info from the airports, that's pretty much what I was wondering. Couldn't find anything about that on citizensinfo or revenue sites.

No, the kid is only three, he hasn't started school yet, no issue there

haveringchick

Victor McDade wrote: »

Yeah that's it, but they're also looking for info such as my P60 which seems a bit much.
They're looking into the situation, at the moment they haven't asked for us to repay them but that's likely as we were gone for almost 3 months.

That's interesting that they get info from the airports, that's pretty much what I was wondering. Couldn't find anything about that on citizensinfo or revenue sites.

No, the kid is only three, he hasn't started school yet, no issue there

Savvy Asians going for a couple or 3 months around Chinese New Year inform CB in good time before they go. Even at that they usually ask for proof of flights booked etc.
Your P60 will show how many weeks you worked in Ireland last year.

Cherry Blossom

The information is basically passed from one government department to another so it's not actually the airport itself or the airlines that pass on the information. Thought I better clarify that point.

I can't recall how long you are actually allowed to be gone for unfortunately.

Victor McDade

Thanks for the info everyone. They said that there is no fixed amount of time that you're allowed to be away before the stop payments but over 4 weeks might be looked at

haveringchick

If you give them everything they look for they will reinstate payment once they have established exactly how long you were gone for

Call me Al

What if you'd flown via London or out through Belfast?

ash23

They often post a letter to recipients of child benefit which has to be completed and returned or the payment is stopped.
It looks for details of the child's school or GP.
Maybe one of those arrived while you were away and when it wasn't returned they dug a bit deeper.
P60 would show them that you are employed in Ireland and not working abroad.

haveringchick

Call me Al wrote: »

What if you'd flown via London or out through Belfast?

Passport would still be stamped in China

stefanovich

How could you possibly afford to go China with your family while on social welfare? Doesn't sound like you need it.

haveringchick

stefanovich wrote: »

How could you possibly afford to go China with your family while on social welfare? Doesn't sound like you need it.

Who said they were on SW?

Gatling

stefanovich wrote: »

How could you possibly afford to go China with your family while on social welfare? Doesn't sound like you need it.

Child benefit is paid to every mother /parent in the country op never said they were on welfare

Call me Al

haveringchick wrote: »

Passport would still be stamped in China

What I mean is that it wouldn't necessarily flag that they had to travelled to China in the first place.

stefanovich

Gatling wrote:

Child benefit is paid to every mother /parent in the country op never said they were on welfare

Child benefit is welfare if you want to get pedantic but I assumed he was on the dole.

haveringchick

stefanovich wrote: »

Child benefit is welfare if you want to get pedantic but I assumed he was on the dole.

I have no idea why you would

Builderfromhell

I didn't know you have to inform sw if you are leaving the country for a few months so as to continue getting CB. Obviously if you are on Dole you would need to let them know facts

stefanovich

Builderfromhell wrote:

I didn't know you have to inform sw if you are leaving the country for a few months so as to continue getting CB. Obviously if you are on Dole you would need to let them know facts

Exactly what I thought too and hence my assumption he was unemployed.

haveringchick

Builderfromhell wrote: »

I didn't know you have to inform sw if you are leaving the country for a few months so as to continue getting CB. Obviously if you are on Dole you would need to let them know facts

You can't get CB if you've left the country
It's not that you can continue getting it if you notify them, you just can't have it.
That would be absolutely bonkers
That would mean we were paying out CB to all the families that emigrated! Why?!

mp22

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