# Claiming Child Benefit while abroad



## miaandami (Oct 4, 2015)

HI

I was just wondering if anyone has had any experience of a situation like mine and so could answer my query regarding the above that I can't seem to find on the Internet.

I am married but separated with two children. My UK rate of child benefit is about £137 a month but, of course, I know that once I have been out of the UK for 8 weeks I have to tell the tax office and so therefore not eligible to receive it anymore.

My query though is whether my husband can claim it on our behalf as he is still in the UK? The reason I think we might be able to do this is because people occasionally moan about migrant workers in the UK (from other EU countries) having one parent in the UK, working, and the other parent in their original country with the children and their being able to claim child benefit.

Does anyone have any ideas?


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## Brisargr (May 10, 2014)

Have you looked at https://www.gov.uk/child-benefit-abroad? This infers you can still receive your benefit living abroad if its an EU country and does not mention anything about 8weeks.

Best of luck


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

I lived in Spain with the children and because my husband worked in the UK and paid NI, tax etc, *HE* could claim our child benefit - so we had to change it from my name to his name, but apparently, thats "allowed"

Jo xxx


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## miaandami (Oct 4, 2015)

Brisargr said:


> Have you looked at https://www.gov.uk/child-benefit-abroad? This infers you can still receive your benefit living abroad if its an EU country and does not mention anything about 8weeks.
> 
> Best of luck


Hi, looking at that link it seems to be that it is fine to claim it if you are in an EU country but only if you are still paying NI in the UK or receiving one of the listed benefits.


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## miaandami (Oct 4, 2015)

jojo said:


> I lived in Spain with the children and because my husband worked in the UK and paid NI, tax etc, *HE* could claim our child benefit - so we had to change it from my name to his name, but apparently, thats "allowed"
> 
> Jo xxx


Sounds promising! Thanks.


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