Guidance on Claiming Benefits after ILR

[Cisadi]

I checked the forum and couldn’t find a consolidated post where it is simple to get the info. Specially for a typical scenario.

I am sure everyone with recent ILR on their passport would like to know what have they gained and what monetary benefits they are entitled to.

Could seniors and knowledgeable members please put in here the best from their brilliant brains so that it is helpful to everyone.

Typical example :

Husband: ILR from Tier1/HSMP/Workpermit

Earnings: £30,000 - £40,000
Till now no benefits claimed

Wife with ILR : Earning and non earning

Child with ILR : 1/2

New Born / 1/2/3 year old. What does he/she get ?

With above scenario what benefits are available to the new ILR holder.

[John]

Now that you all have ILR, one of you or your spouse can claim Child Benefit. Also you and your spouse jointly can claim Tax Credits.

Based upon what you have posted, I can't work out how many children you have, and their ages. Can you please clarify, and after you have done that it will be possible to say how much benefit you can get.

When were the ILRs granted?

[Cisadi]

I was trying to setup a typical examples of all the WP/Tier1/HSMP to ILR obtainers hence some generalised information.

In my case I got the ILR last month and I only have one child who is about to be two.

- So if I have understood your post correctly :

Child Benefit and Child Tax credits are two different things.

Could you please explain requirements for eligibility to get these two supports.

Thanks.

[Wanderer]

I was trying to setup a typical examples of all the WP/Tier1/HSMP to ILR obtainers hence some generalised information.

In my case I got the ILR last month and I only have one child who is about to be two.

- So if I have understood your post correctly :

Child Benefit and Child Tax credits are two different things.

Could you please explain requirements for eligibility to get these two supports.

Thanks.

http://entitledto.org

[John]

Go to the HMRC home page .... click here .... and towards the top of the screen, under the heading of "individuals & employees" you will see links to both Tax Credits and Child Benefit. Those links will give you lots of information, including how to claim.

On both the Child Benefit and Tax Credits application forms you will see a question asking if you ceased to be subject to immigration control within the previous 3 months, and if so, when you ceased to be so subject. You will answer the question "yes" and enter the date of issue of your ILR visa.

The background to that question is that ordinarily, if there was an entitlement, claims can be backdated for up to 3 months. However, for you, the backdating will only be back to the date of your ILR. Do ensure that your claims are submitted within 3 months of that ILR date, otherwise you will end up losing benefit.

For Child Benefit, there is just one claimant, and it can be either parent who is living with the child. However by convention, in most households, it tends to be the mother than claims, but if she does not want to do that, nothing to stop the father being the Child Benefit claimant.

For Tax Credits, in respect of a couple living together, the claim must be in joint names, and the income of both of you needs to be reported.