Thread: Why is it so hard changing child benefit when you move to NI

AAAAAAAGGGGGGHHHHH!!!!
Stupid child benefit people, when you move to northern ireland your payments stop for a bit because it has to be transferred (to where I don't know). They missed 13 weeks payments which they updated in Nov. I was told next payment would be 17 Dec - it hasn't gone in. I called up and they apparantley are still investigating my claim - eh??? My baby is 6 months old they have awarded child benefit already all I have done is moved, why the hassle.

Oh and I couldn't speak to a manager as helpline person can't transfer "I can get you a call back within 48 hours". I'm at home now I want to sort the problem out now. God, I 'm annoyed!

I never had a problem, back then the Newcastle and the Belfast offices were totally separate and I had to cancel my claim with one and begin a new claim at the other.

I don't know if they are one big department now, there seems to be a lack of info on the web. You could try calling the office in Newcastle for some clarification, just to see if your details are actually being passed on.

Good Luck Mrs.
XXX

From the HMR&C website
Child Benefit helplines
Our helplines are open between 8am and 8pm, seven days a week.

If you are in Great Britain:
Tel: 0845 302 1444.

If you are in Northern Ireland:
Tel: 0845 603 2000.

There is a bit of info from the MOD webiste regarding Benefits.
http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/De...ormationuk.htm

Belfast has it's own benefit's budget.

simple thing is have the money paid into your mainland bank account but just dont tell them that you are moving to n.i.
i didn't tell them and i still got paid for 2 yrs. it's just one less hassle.

I can't understand with all these troubles. I had no problems when I told the Benefits that I moved to Belgium and got the address registered under the BFPO and still got paid into my UK account.

Yorkie

The problem is as afore mentioned, the benefits budgets are seperate. Even though it's part of the UK, it is treated seperately. It's the same procedures, same paperwork ( ok, with 'NI' written on it) and same slow service.

When I was in hospital, I was trying to apply for Disability Living Allowance. I couldn't work ( well it's hard if you aren't allowed to leave a room) and had no money coming in. I started off my treatment in July 04 in Cheltenham. When I moved to NI in the November, I still didn't receive any money until the end of January 05.

Are you surprised to hear that I am still paying off the bill for the credit card I had to live on during that time? Incidently, both offices said I wasn't entitled to income support either as I had been working before I got ill. ( ????? ) so therefore had to pay for any medication for my cancer treatment myself. Nice.

The benefits system is a load of shoite in my mind. You bother to work, pay your taxes and NI contributions etc. You don't claim for anything then when you do need help, they tell you to bog off. Meanwhile, people who've only been in the country 5 minutes get all the help they need.

Bitter? Me?

Originally Posted by dutchess

Belfast has it's own benefit's budget.

simple thing is have the money paid into your mainland bank account but just dont tell them that you are moving to n.i.
i didn't tell them and i still got paid for 2 yrs. it's just one less hassle.

Not the best idea not to tell them you've moved. The minute they get a 'return to sender' letter is the time they wipe you off the system. Keep at them and it'll work itself out. Just think of all the shoes you can buy when it pops into the account in a lump sum!

I finally found out what happened. I filled in all the correct forms but some clever person at newcastle closed my child benefit claim with them but did not send the relevent stuff onto Belfast. I even had to tell Newcastle when I first rang up when we were about to move that it all had to be changed and they were like 'no it doesn't, are you sure?'

And to think at the moment I'm applying for a civil service job, do I really want to work for something that is constantly being proved as being so useless!

Its good you got to the bottom of it all MrsRsp, money matters can be stressfull-without throwing christmas into the equation!

Sounds like you have received the Shitty end of the stick a few times IrishDoris, my hat goes of to you my dear-I think I'd have crumbled at the first hurdle.

Take it easy ladies.
Rinky xx

I had no bother with changing my address. :lol:

Did they change your child benefit number bootifull?

Number stayed the same! When i called Newcastle they asked if my "partner" was HM Forces, because he is all my details are still held by Newcastle.
Of course this was all while Op. Banner still existed but now that we are all "normal" things may have changed.

Things move very slowly across here which is very frustrating but thats the way it is!
So it is! :thumbup:

Ah - if you are still here then you would need a new CB number which would mean them stopping account etc. I wouldn't tell them as I've spoken to a couple of people here that seem to have had the same problems as me.