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<p>The main purpose of child benefit and the child tax credit is to support families
in the UK. Consequently, the rules for these benefits generally do not provide for
them to be paid in respect of children who live abroad.</p><p> </p><p>Nevertheless,
both child benefit and the child tax credit are family benefits under EC Regulation
883/2004. This regulation protects the social security rights of nationals of all
member states of the European economic area (EEA), including the UK, and Switzerland
when they exercise their rights of free movement under EU law.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>As
at 31 March 2015, there were 19,579 ongoing child benefit awards under EC Regulation
883/2004 in respect of 32,408 children living in another member state and 7,026 ongoing
child tax credit awards under the regulation in respect of 11,762 children living
in another member state.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Government is working with
European partners to renegotiate the relevant social security co-ordination rules
to remove the requirement to pay Child Benefit and Child Tax Credit in respect of
children outside the UK.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
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