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Contents
1.
What is Child Benefit
2. Who is Entitled to Child Benefit?
3. When Should you Claim?
4. How is Payment Made?
5. How to Claim Child Benefit
6. Where Can You Get a Birth Certificate?
7. Multiple Births
8. Child Benefit and EC Regulations
9. More Information
10. HOMEMAKING
11. Circumstances and / or events which may affect
your benefit.
1. What is Child Benefit?
Child
Benefit is a benefit paid every month for each qualified child
normally living with you and being supported by you. A qualified
child is:
a
child under age 16
and/or
a child aged 16, 17 or 18 who
is in full-time education, or
is attending a FÁS YOUTHREACH course, or
is physically or mentally disabled and dependent on you.
Child Benefit ceases when the child reaches age 19.
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2. Who is Entitled to
Child Benefit?
Child
Benefit is normally paid to the child's mother or step-mother.
If the child does not live with the mother or step-mother, then
Child Benefit may be paid to the child's father or step-father
who is living with and supporting the child.
If
the child is not living with or being maintained by the parents,
then Child Benefit may be paid to the person who is caring for
the child. You may, if you wish, nominate someone else to receive
payment of Child Benefit on your behalf.
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3. When Should I Claim?
You
must claim Child Benefit within 6 months after:
the
month in which the child was born, or
the month the child becomes a member of your family or
the month the family came to reside in Ireland.
Child Benefit will then be paid from the first day of the month
after the child is born or becomes a member of your family or
after the family takes up residence in Ireland.
Note:
If you do not claim in time, Child Benefit is normally paid from
the first day of the month after the claim is received.
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4. How is Payment Made?
Child
Benefit is paid on the first Tuesday of every month and can be:
lodged
directly into a Bank, Building Society or An Post Savings Account
nominated by you - this is known as Direct Payment. Child Benefit
can be lodged to:
your own personal account
a joint account between
client and spouse
client and child(ren)
client's spouse and child(ren)
account for child only
account for spouse only.
or
paid
by a book of Payable Orders which can be cashed at a Post Office
chosen by you. Payable orders are valid for 6 months from the
date shown on each order. You must cash the orders within this
time, otherwise you may lose payment.
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5.
How to Claim Child Benefit
If
you are claiming Child Benefit for:
the
first time or for an additional child - complete form CB 1
payment to continue after age 16 - complete Form CB 2
If you are claiming Child Benefit for a child aged 16, 17 or
18, the claim form CB 2 MUST be certified:
by
the school/college if the child is in full-time education
or
by FÁS if the child is attending a full-time YOUTHREACH
course
or
by a registered Medical Doctor if the child is physically or
mentally disabled.
Where a child aged 16, 17 or 18 is in full-time education, you
must notify the department immediately if:
the
child leaves school/college/FÁS YOUTHREACH course before
the certified date
or
the child is able to support him/herself before reaching age
19 or the date certified by the Doctor
Claim forms for Child Benefit are available from your local
Social Welfare Office, Post Office or from :
Child
Benefit Section
Social Welfare Services Office
St. Oliver Plunkett Road
Letterkenny
Co. Donegal.
Telephone: LoCall:1890 400 400
Letterkenny: (074) 25566
Dublin (01) 704 3000
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6. Where Can You Get
a Birth Certificate?
Birth
certificates (long version ONLY) for Child Benefit purposes are
available at a reduced cost from the Registrar of Births or from
the Superintendent Registrar's Office of the county where the
birth of the child took place. These Birth Certificates will be
retained by Child Benefit section.
If
you are not able to get a Birth Certificate immediately, you should
send in your claim with a note stating that the certificate will
be sent in as soon as possible. Baptismal certificates or photocopies
of Birth Certificates are not acceptable.
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7. Multiple Births
Special
Grants
A grant of €635 is paid on all multiple births, with further
grants of €635 when the child reachs age 4 and 12, that is:
€635
at birth
€635 at age 4
€635 at age 12
Rate
of Payment
The rate of Child Benefit for twins will be paid at one and a
half times the normal monthly rate for each child.
Where
the multiple birth involves three or more children, Child Benefit
is paid at double the normal monthly rate for each child, provided
at least three of the children remain qualified.
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8. Child Benefit And
EC Regulations
If
you work in a country covered by EC Regulations, this country
usually pays Child Benefit even if your family is living in another
country. For more information on how EC rules affect Child Benefit,
contact Child Benefit, EU Section, Telephone No.: (074) 64413
at the address given at Part 5.
Countries
covered by EU REGULATIONS are:
Austria
Belgium Denmark Finland
France Germany Greece Iceland
Ireland Italy Liechtenstein Luxembourg
Norway Portugal Spain Sweden
the Netherlands the United Kingdom (excluding the Channel Islands
and the Isle of Man)
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9. More Information
For
more information about Child Benefit contact Child Benefit Section
at the address at Part 5 or your local Social Welfare Office.
Note:
Penalties for false or misleading statements made to obtain Child
Benefit for yourself, or for any other person, may result in fines
of up to €12697.38 or imprisonment for up to three years.
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10.
HOMEMAKING
If
you give up work to take care of a child under age 12 or an incapacitated
child/adult aged 12 or over, you may have the years spent caring
disregarded when working out your entitlement to Old Age (Contributory)
Pension. See Information Booklet SW 1 for more details on Homemaking.
If
you are getting Child Benefit, there is no need to register as
a Homemaker.
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11.
CIRCUMSTANCES AND/OR EVENTS WHICH MAY AFFECT
YOUR BENEFIT
Child
Benefit Section MUST BE NOTIFIED IN WRITING immediately if any
of the following changes occur:
1.
Change of address
2. Change of Bank/Building Society/Post Office
3. Change of Bank/Building Society/Post Office Account or Account
Name
4. Child aged 1 6, 1 7 or 18 finishes education or changes/leaves
school/college
5. Death of a child for whom benefit is being paid
6. You or your child are(is) in prison or admitted to a home or
detention centre
7. A child is no longer living with you or in your care
8. A child is abandoned, deserted or removed from your custody
9. You or your child leave(s) the State
1 0. You wish to nominate another person to receive benefit on
your behalf
11. You marry or remarry
12. You/Your Spouse/Partner starts work in another country
1 3. Death of person receiving benefit
14. Birth and/or adoption/fostering of an additional child or
children.
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