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Does anyone know if the child benefit has been paid for this month yet? Only asking because I had a feeling because it was Bank Holiday on monday it might be paid the friday before (ie yesterday – I thought this happened in the past). Not a problem but I did have a slight panic attack when I remembered I got a letter from them a few weeks ago asking me to confirm my details (as I do every few months) and I sent it back pretty late (they sent it late as always and gave me 21 days to respond but I then "filed" it at the bottom of a pile of post…). They threaten to stop your child benefit if it’s not back by the correct date, and although I know they aren’t that strict owing to the fact they always post it halfway through the 21 day period, I am feeling slightly worried that they have followed through with the threat!!!
xxHi hun,
Ours has been paid in already…. dated 01 November…..
Give them a call and check with them…….. 😕
Thanks for coming back to me on this. Rubbish… Just what I need at this time of year!! I know I know my own fault for being disorganised, and I do recognise there is a need for the letters, but I do hate them!!!!! Of course they’re closed all weekend and then it’s BH so will see how I get on Tuesday. Not holding my breath for a quick resolution though.
DH is not going to be impressed either…!!! x
Mine got cut one once because never got the letter! Did had one over the summer, sent it back, then one again (the missing one) few months later.
Anyway they refund you what you’re owed once you feel in the form again saying that children were still in Ireland.
They’re quick to stop payement and fast enough to give it back, so it should be sorted in a decent time frame.Fabienne
I got one of those letters and i sent it back asap (only last week) my 21 days arent up yet and i cant see my payment in my back yet!!! Maybe different banks go in on different days, my cb goes into an AIB account
Does anyone else think that the reply by garnodp is remarkably like those other ones recently that copied people’s posts and made no sense???
Just spoke to them and yes, my benefit has been suspended. They have my letter now but I have been told to ring back in 2 weeks to find out when they will release the payment!!!! They are working through the later responses and that’s when she estimates they will reach mine… Not the quick resolution you had Fabienne! Devastated. 🙁
Does anyone else think that the reply by garnodp is remarkably like those other ones recently that copied people’s posts and made no sense???
seems like spam, magicmum is full of it every morning , very annoyingWhat are these letters your all talking about?? i have 3 kids and have never got one..
They are basically anti-fraud letters.. Because I am not Irish (I’m English) we get a letter every 4 months (I think) asking us to confirm we still live here and to confirm details of our children.
What are these letters your all talking about?? i have 3 kids and have never got one..
They are basically anti-fraud letters.. Because I am not Irish (I’m English) we get a letter every 4 months (I think) asking us to confirm we still live here and to confirm details of our children.
Im Irish and i still got one, i only got one last week for the very first time, i was talking about it at the playgroup and 2 other "full irish" parents got them as well. Must be just a random check on kids born in 2005
They check irish families randomly. Families where at least 1 parent is not irish are checked 3 or 4 times a year.
I’m fed-up with it. My children are irish (born here), going to a gaelscoil, and my husband work and pay taxes here. Can they not cross ref the tax files and school attendence record (school have to notify HSE or some other department if a child misses no matter the reasons (sickness or extra holidays) 20 or more days a year, and they do.
So they can check children are going to school, dad is paying taxes, and we’re still checked non-stop, when we know some people that are using the system to get extra benefits and they can do it without troubles.It’s not fair to the honest people.
Yes they have to check, but why so often and posting the letter in average 14 days after the letter is written so instead of 21 days to reply we only have 7 days.Also we always have the letter in the summer, so one year our child was between going from playschool to primary school, which school are you suppose to writte child attends to? None in the summer! Can they not wait the 1st of september when families are back from their summer vacation. Espescially non-irish families who often are visiting the children’s grand-parents and cousins.
Wait the 1st of september to check if they came back from the trip abroad or if they decided to stay there.Anyway checking school reports will be more efficient and will cost less to the tax-payers.
When and how to they check irsih families who did emigrate and still get child benefit into their bank account? How often?
School records are the way to go (ok only valid from primary school till secondary, but it’s the majority of cases).Rant over.
Fabienne
I am absolutely with you on this Fabienne. The outcome of my issue was that they said they had lifted the suspension on the payment so I would get it at the beginning of December! Needless to say I was quite upset about this and eventually they agreed to send me a cheque that would be with my in 5 working days. Still not ideal but there you go…
But the letters themselves do drive me mad. The one I sent back late was actually dated 27th August if memory serves me but we were actually on holiday (I say holiday – we were visiting family) until mid September so cannot say exactly when it arrived. I sent it back at the beginning of October. As you say, they normally arrive around 14 days of the date of the letter with the "threat" if we don’t return within 21 days. A joke. When I spoke to them about it previously I was told not to worry about the dates and just send it back when I receive it.
We have lived here for 6 years now and both my husband and I worked full time (obviously paying taxes) until I had our sons arrived when I back a SAHM. He still works full time. Both my sons were born here and hold Irish passports. We have a mortgage. My eldest attends a local montessori (he is 3.5 so this is his free year so the government are aware that he is "here"!!). Although I agree that some checks need to be made there must be a better way. And if they do it this way then a more user-friendly system has got to be made available. Why do I put contact details for my children (ie their school/dr’s details) if they are not going to look into them before taking action? Even a follow up letter (you’d get a warning before they cut your electricity or phone off for an unpaid bill for example!) before they took action would be sensible surely?!
As I said to the lady I spoke to at the department yesterday, in an ideal world I would not rely on these payments so heavily. I was not waiting to get my hair done with it, I was in all honesty waiting to be able to take my son to the Dr’s and to buy a pair of winter shoes for the youngest.
All I can do is ensure I don’t overlook this letter again in the future now that I know their "system", but it doesn’t mean I have to like it!
OK, my rant is over too! 😉 x
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