Overview

You

could

get

Guardian

’s

Allowance

if

you

’re

bringing

up

a

child

whose

parents

have

died

You

may

also

be

eligible

if

there

’s

one

surviving

parent

The

Guardian

’s

Allowance

rate

is

a

week

You

get

it

on

top

of

Child

Benefit

and

it

’s

tax

free

You

must

tell

the

Guardian

’s

Allowance

Unit

about

certain

changes

to

your

circumstances

What

you

'll

get

The

Guardian

Allowance

rate

is

a

week

per

child

tax

free

paid

on

top

of

your

Child

Benefit

payments

How

the

money

is

paid

Usually

the

money

is

paid

into

a

bank

account

every

weeks

It

can

be

paid

weekly

if

you

’re

a

single

parent

or

getting

certain

other

benefits

such

as

Income

Support

You

can

get

the

money

paid

into

any

account

apart

from

a

Nationwide

Building

Society

account

in

someone

else

’s

name

Effect

on

other

benefits

Guardian

’s

Allowance

does

not

count

as

income

if

you

’re

claiming

tax

credits

Income

Support

income

based

Jobseeker

’s

Allowance

or

income

related

Employment

and

Support

Allowance

Guardian

’s

Allowance

is

not

affected

by

the

High

Income

Child

Benefit

charge

If

you

decide

not

to

be

paid

Child

Benefit

your

Guardian

’s

Allowance

can

continue

Guardian

’s

Allowance

does

not

count

towards

the

benefit

cap

Use

a

benefits

calculator

to

work

out

what

benefits

you

can

get

Eligibility

To

get

Guardian

’s

Allowance

all

of

the

following

must

apply

you

’re

bringing

up

someone

else

’s

child

the

child

’s

parents

are

dead

see

conditions

for

one

surviving

parent

below

you

qualify

for

Child

Benefit

one

of

the

parents

was

born

in

the

UK

or

was

living

in

the

UK

since

the

age

of

for

at

least

weeks

in

any

year

period

If

you

adopt

a

child

you

may

still

get

Guardian

’s

Allowance

as

long

as

you

were

getting

it

before

you

adopted

the

child

If

there

is

one

surviving

parent

You

could

get

Guardian

’s

Allowance

if

one

of

the

following

is

true

you

do

not

know

where

the

surviving

parent

is

the

parents

were

divorced

or

their

civil

partnership

had

dissolved

the

surviving

parent

does

not

have

custody

and

is

not

maintaining

the

child

and

there

is

not

a

court

order

in

place

saying

they

should

the

parents

were

not

married

the

mother

has

died

and

the

father

is

unknown

the

surviving

parent

will

be

in

prison

for

at

least

years

from

the

date

of

death

of

the

other

parent

the

surviving

parent

is

in

a

hospital

by

court

order

Use

a

benefits

calculator

to

check

the

benefits

you

’re

entitled

to

How

to

claim

To

avoid

losing

money

claim

Guardian

’s

Allowance

as

soon

as

the

child

comes

to

live

with

you

Fill

in

the

claim

form

Send

it

to

the

Guardian

’s

Allowance

Unit

with

the

child

’s

full

birth

certificate

and

the

parents

death

certificates

or

certificate

if

one

parent

has

died

send

originals

You

should

also

claim

Child

Benefit

as

soon

as

possible

Guardian

’s

Allowance

can

be

backdated

for

up

to

months

You

can

also

call

the

Guardian

’s

Allowance

Unit

and

ask

for

a

claim

pack

If

you

disagree

with

a

decision

You

can

challenge

a

decision

about

your

claim

This

is

called

asking

for

mandatory

reconsideration

Changes

to

your

circumstances

If

your

circumstances

change

your

entitlement

to

Guardian

’s

Allowance

could

be

affected

or

your

payments

could

stop

You

must

report

changes

straight

away

You

can

do

this

online

if

the

child

goes

to

live

with

someone

else

you

go

abroad

either

temporarily

for

more

than

weeks

or

permanently

for

more

than

year

the

child

leaves

full

time

education

or

approved

training

your

bank

or

contact

details

change

you

find

out

where

the

surviving

parent

is

the

surviving

parent

comes

out

of

hospital

or

prison

or

has

their

sentence

shortened

the

surviving

parent

makes

a

payment

towards

their

child

’s

upkeep

You

can

also

report

a

change

of

circumstance

by

phone

or

post


Overview

Attendance

Allowance

helps

with

extra

costs

if

you

have

a

disability

severe

enough

that

you

need

someone

to

help

look

after

you

This

guide

is

also

available

in

Welsh

Cymraeg

It

’s

paid

at

different

rates

and

how

much

you

get

depends

on

the

level

of

care

that

you

need

because

of

your

disability

You

could

get

or

a

week

to

help

with

personal

support

if

you

’re

both

physically

or

mentally

disabled

State

Pension

age

or

older

It

does

not

cover

mobility

needs

The

other

benefits

you

get

can

increase

if

you

get

Attendance

Allowance

You

do

not

have

to

have

someone

caring

for

you

in

order

to

claim

If

you

do

have

a

carer

they

could

get

Carer

’s

Allowance

if

you

have

substantial

caring

needs

What

you

'll

get

Attendance

Allowance

is

paid

weekly

at

different

rates

the

one

you

get

depends

on

the

level

of

help

you

need

Attendance

Allowance

is

not

means

tested

what

you

earn

or

how

much

you

have

in

savings

will

not

affect

what

you

get

Attendance

Allowance

rates

Rate

Level

of

help

you

need

Lower

rate

Frequent

help

or

constant

supervision

during

the

day

or

supervision

at

night

Higher

rate

Help

or

supervision

throughout

both

day

and

night

or

you

’re

terminally

ill

If

your

circumstances

change

you

could

get

a

different

rate

You

must

report

a

change

of

circumstances

You

could

get

extra

Pension

Credit

Housing

Benefit

or

Council

Tax

Reduction

if

you

get

Attendance

Allowance

check

with

the

helpline

or

office

dealing

with

your

benefit

How

you

’re

paid

All

benefits

are

paid

into

your

bank

building

society

or

credit

union

account

Eligibility

You

can

get

Attendance

Allowance

if

you

’ve

reached

State

Pension

age

and

the

following

apply

you

have

a

physical

disability

including

sensory

disability

for

example

blindness

a

mental

disability

including

learning

difficulties

or

both

your

disability

is

severe

enough

for

you

to

need

help

caring

for

yourself

or

someone

to

supervise

you

for

your

own

or

someone

else

’s

safety

you

have

needed

that

help

for

at

least

months

unless

you

’re

terminally

ill

You

must

also

be

in

Great

Britain

when

you

claim

there

are

some

exceptions

such

as

members

and

family

members

of

the

armed

forces

have

been

in

Great

Britain

for

at

least

of

the

last

years

this

does

not

apply

if

you

’re

a

refugee

or

have

humanitarian

protection

status

be

habitually

resident

in

the

UK

Ireland

Isle

of

Man

or

the

Channel

Islands

not

be

subject

to

immigration

control

unless

you

’re

a

sponsored

immigrant

If

you

live

in

the

EU

Switzerland

Norway

Iceland

or

Liechtenstein

You

might

still

be

able

to

get

Attendance

Allowance

if

you

’re

a

UK

national

and

you

live

in

or

move

to

the

EU

European

Economic

Area

EEA

or

Switzerland

Read

guidance

to

find

out

if

you

can

get

benefits

in

the

EU

EEA

or

Switzerland

If

you

’re

terminally

ill

If

you

’re

not

expected

to

live

for

more

than

months

there

are

special

rules

there

’s

no

qualifying

period

for

how

long

you

’ve

had

your

illness

if

you

’re

eligible

you

’ll

automatically

get

the

higher

rate

of

Attendance

Allowance

If

you

’re

in

a

care

home

You

can

not

usually

get

Attendance

Allowance

if

you

live

in

a

care

home

and

your

care

is

paid

for

by

your

local

authority

You

can

still

claim

Attendance

Allowance

if

you

pay

for

all

your

care

home

costs

yourself

If

you

need

an

assessment

You

’ll

only

need

to

attend

an

assessment

to

check

your

eligibility

if

it

’s

unclear

how

your

illness

or

disability

affects

you

If

you

do

need

an

assessment

you

’ll

get

a

letter

saying

why

and

where

you

must

go

During

the

assessment

a

healthcare

professional

will

need

to

examine

you

You

can

not

get

Attendance

Allowance

if

you

already

get

Disability

Living

Allowance

DLA

or

Personal

Independence

Payment

PIP

How

to

claim

Use

the

Attendance

Allowance

claim

form

to

apply

by

post

The

form

comes

with

notes

telling

you

how

to

fill

it

in

Send

the

completed

form

to

You

do

not

need

a

postcode

or

a

stamp

Call

the

Attendance

Allowance

helpline

to

ask

for

a

copy

of

the

form

alternative

formats

such

as

braille

large

print

or

audio

CD

Backdating

your

claim

Attendance

Allowance

can

be

backdated

to

the

date

of

your

claim

This

is

usually

the

date

your

form

is

received

or

the

date

you

call

the

enquiry

line

if

you

then

return

the

claim

pack

within

weeks

If

you

’re

terminally

ill

special

rules

There

are

special

rules

so

you

get

Attendance

Allowance

more

quickly

if

you

’re

not

expected

to

live

more

than

months

You

must

complete

an

Attendance

Allowance

form

ask

a

doctor

or

other

healthcare

professional

for

form

they

’ll

either

fill

it

in

and

give

the

form

to

you

or

send

it

directly

to

DWP

You

can

do

this

on

behalf

of

someone

else

without

their

permission

The

letter

about

the

money

awarded

will

not

mention

special

rules

If

you

disagree

with

a

decision

You

can

challenge

a

decision

about

your

claim

This

is

called

asking

for

mandatory

reconsideration

Complaints

You

can

complain

to

the

Department

for

Work

and

Pensions

DWP

if

you

’re

unhappy

with

the

service

you

’ve

received

Report

a

change

in

circumstances

Your

circumstances

can

affect

how

much

Attendance

Allowance

you

get

You

must

contact

the

Attendance

Allowance

helpline

straight

away

if

the

level

of

help

you

need

or

your

condition

changes

you

go

into

hospital

or

a

care

home

you

leave

the

country

for

more

than

weeks

you

go

into

prison

you

change

your

name

address

or

bank

details

you

want

to

stop

receiving

your

benefit

your

doctor

’s

details

change

your

immigration

status

changes

if

you

’re

not

a

British

citizen

You

could

be

taken

to

court

or

have

to

pay

a

penalty

if

you

give

wrong

information

or

do

not

report

a

change

in

your

circumstances

If

you

’ve

been

paid

too

much

You

may

have

to

repay

the

money

if

you

did

not

report

a

change

straight

away

gave

wrong

information

were

overpaid

by

mistake

Find

out

how

to

repay

the

money

you

owe

from

benefit

overpayment


Overview

If

you

can

not

earn

as

much

as

you

used

to

because

of

an

accident

or

disease

caused

by

your

work

you

could

get

up

to

per

week

Reduced

Earnings

Allowance

You

can

only

get

it

for

accidents

that

happened

or

diseases

that

started

before

October

You

may

also

be

able

to

get

Industrial

Injuries

Disablement

Benefit

IIDB

Effect

on

other

benefits

Reduced

Earnings

Allowance

could

affect

any

income

related

benefits

that

you

or

your

partner

get

Contact

the

Barnsley

Industrial

Injuries

Disablement

Benefit

IIDB

centre

for

details

What

you

'll

get

You

could

get

up

to

per

week

What

you

get

depends

on

how

much

you

earn

in

your

regular

employment

Ask

the

Barnsley

Industrial

Injuries

Disablement

Benefit

IIDB

centre

about

how

much

you

can

get

Reduced

Earnings

Allowance

will

be

replaced

by

another

benefit

called

Retirement

Allowance

if

both

the

following

apply

you

reach

State

Pension

age

you

’re

not

in

regular

employment

How

you

’re

paid

All

benefits

pensions

and

allowances

are

paid

into

your

bank

building

society

or

credit

union

account

Eligibility

You

could

get

Reduced

Earnings

Allowance

if

you

have

an

illness

or

disability

caused

by

a

work

related

accident

or

disease

that

happened

before

October

You

must

also

meet

all

of

the

following

criteria

your

level

of

disability

is

assessed

to

be

at

least

you

can

not

return

to

your

regular

occupation

you

can

not

do

other

work

with

the

same

level

of

earnings

as

your

regular

occupation

Going

abroad

If

you

leave

the

UK

to

live

abroad

permanently

you

may

not

be

able

to

get

Reduced

Earnings

Allowance

Check

if

you

can

get

benefits

if

you

move

to

the

EU

European

Economic

Area

EEA

or

Switzerland

For

temporary

visits

to

countries

outside

the

EEA

you

can

usually

claim

for

the

first

months

of

your

stay

This

can

be

longer

in

special

circumstances

check

with

the

International

Pensions

Centre

to

see

if

you

qualify

Your

circumstances

change

Tell

the

Barnsley

Industrial

Injuries

Disablement

Benefit

IIDB

centre

straight

away

if

your

circumstances

change

for

example

you

stop

or

start

work

you

change

your

occupation

your

earnings

change

How

to

claim

You

’ll

need

to

fill

in

and

post

a

claim

form

Contact

the

Barnsley

Industrial

Injuries

Disablement

Benefit

IIDB

centre

to

get

a

form

The

form

comes

with

notes

that

will

help

you

fill

it

in

tell

you

where

to

send

it

Claim

straight

away

or

you

might

lose

benefit

Contact

the

Barnsley

IIDB

centre

Alternative

formats

Call

to

ask

for

alternative

formats

such

as

braille

large

print

or

audio

CD


How

it

works

You

could

get

a

week

if

you

care

for

someone

at

least

hours

a

week

and

they

get

certain

benefits

You

do

not

have

to

be

related

to

or

live

with

the

person

you

care

for

You

do

not

get

paid

extra

if

you

care

for

more

than

one

person

If

someone

else

also

cares

for

the

same

person

as

you

only

one

of

you

can

claim

Carer

’s

Allowance

Carer

’s

Allowance

can

affect

the

other

benefits

that

you

and

the

person

you

care

for

get

You

have

to

pay

tax

on

it

if

your

income

is

over

the

Personal

Allowance

This

guide

is

also

available

in

Welsh

Cymraeg

Claiming

Carer

’s

Allowance

if

you

’re

affected

by

coronavirus

You

can

claim

Carer

’s

Allowance

if

you

provide

care

remotely

during

the

coronavirus

outbreak

This

includes

giving

emotional

support

over

the

phone

or

online

How

you

’re

paid

You

can

choose

to

be

paid

weekly

in

advance

or

every

weeks

It

will

be

paid

into

an

account

for

example

your

bank

account

What

else

you

can

get

For

each

week

you

get

Carer

’s

Allowance

you

’ll

automatically

get

National

Insurance

credits

You

may

also

be

able

to

apply

for

support

from

your

local

council

a

Council

Tax

Reduction

Universal

Credit

if

you

’re

on

a

low

income

or

out

of

work

Pension

Credit

if

you

’re

over

working

age

grants

and

bursaries

to

help

pay

for

courses

and

training

Income

Support

if

you

get

the

severe

disability

premium

and

you

’re

on

a

low

income

income

based

Employment

and

Support

Allowance

if

you

get

the

severe

disability

premium

and

you

can

not

work

If

you

live

in

Scotland

and

get

Carer

’s

Allowance

you

may

also

get

Carer

’s

Allowance

Supplement

Get

help

and

advice

You

can

get

more

help

and

advice

from

Carers

UK

Carers

Trust

Citizens

Advice

NHS

Carers

Direct

helpline

Eligibility

You

may

be

eligible

for

Carer

’s

Allowance

if

you

the

person

you

care

for

and

the

type

of

care

you

provide

meets

certain

criteria

The

person

you

care

for

The

person

you

care

for

must

already

get

one

of

these

benefits

Personal

Independence

Payment

daily

living

component

Disability

Living

Allowance

the

middle

or

highest

care

rate

Attendance

Allowance

Constant

Attendance

Allowance

at

or

above

the

normal

maximum

rate

with

an

Industrial

Injuries

Disablement

Benefit

Constant

Attendance

Allowance

at

the

basic

full

day

rate

with

a

War

Disablement

Pension

Armed

Forces

Independence

Payment

If

someone

else

also

cares

for

the

same

person

as

you

only

one

of

you

can

claim

Carer

’s

Allowance

The

type

of

care

you

provide

You

need

to

spend

at

least

hours

a

week

caring

for

someone

This

can

include

helping

with

washing

and

cooking

taking

the

person

you

care

for

to

a

doctor

’s

appointment

helping

with

household

tasks

like

managing

bills

and

shopping

If

you

or

the

person

you

care

for

are

affected

by

coronavirus

you

can

still

claim

Carer

’s

Allowance

if

you

provide

care

remotely

This

includes

giving

emotional

support

over

the

phone

or

online

Your

eligibility

All

of

the

following

must

apply

you

’re

or

over

you

spend

at

least

hours

a

week

caring

for

someone

you

’ve

been

in

England

Scotland

or

Wales

for

at

least

of

the

last

years

this

does

not

apply

if

you

’re

a

refugee

or

have

humanitarian

protection

status

you

normally

live

in

England

Scotland

or

Wales

or

you

live

abroad

as

a

member

of

the

armed

forces

you

might

still

be

eligible

if

you

’re

moving

to

or

already

living

in

an

EEA

country

or

Switzerland

you

’re

not

in

full

time

education

you

’re

not

studying

for

hours

a

week

or

more

you

’re

not

subject

to

immigration

control

your

earnings

are

or

less

a

week

after

tax

National

Insurance

and

expenses

If

your

earnings

are

sometimes

more

than

a

week

you

might

still

be

eligible

for

Carer

’s

Allowance

Your

average

earnings

may

be

calculated

to

work

out

if

you

’re

eligible

Calculating

your

earnings

Your

earnings

are

any

income

from

employment

and

self

employment

after

tax

National

Insurance

and

expenses

Expenses

can

include

of

your

pension

contributions

equipment

you

need

to

do

your

job

for

example

specialist

clothing

travel

costs

between

different

workplaces

that

are

not

paid

for

by

your

employer

for

example

fuel

or

train

fares

business

costs

if

you

’re

self

employed

for

example

a

computer

you

only

use

for

work

If

you

pay

a

carer

to

look

after

the

disabled

person

or

your

children

while

you

work

you

can

treat

care

costs

that

are

less

than

or

equal

to

of

your

earnings

as

an

expense

The

carer

must

not

be

your

spouse

partner

parent

child

or

sibling

Payments

that

do

not

count

as

earnings

include

money

received

from

an

occupational

or

private

pension

contributions

towards

your

living

or

accommodation

costs

from

someone

you

live

with

they

can

not

be

a

tenant

or

boarder

the

first

a

week

and

of

the

rest

of

any

income

you

make

from

someone

boarding

in

your

home

a

loan

or

advance

payment

from

your

employer

If

you

get

State

Pension

You

can

not

get

the

full

amount

of

both

Carer

’s

Allowance

and

your

State

Pension

at

the

same

time

If

your

pension

is

a

week

or

more

you

will

not

get

a

Carer

’s

Allowance

payment

If

your

pension

is

less

than

a

week

you

’ll

get

a

Carer

’s

Allowance

payment

to

make

up

the

difference

If

you

get

Pension

Credit

If

your

State

Pension

is

more

than

a

week

you

will

not

get

a

Carer

’s

Allowance

payment

but

your

Pension

Credit

payments

will

increase

instead

If

you

’re

not

eligible

You

might

be

eligible

for

Carer

’s

Credit

if

you

’re

not

eligible

for

Carer

’s

Allowance

Effect

on

other

benefits

Carer

’s

Allowance

can

affect

the

other

benefits

that

both

you

and

the

person

you

care

for

get

Effect

on

the

benefits

of

the

person

you

care

for

When

you

claim

Carer

’s

Allowance

the

person

you

care

for

will

stop

getting

a

severe

disability

premium

paid

with

their

benefits

an

extra

amount

for

severe

disability

paid

with

Pension

Credit

if

they

get

one

They

might

also

stop

getting

reduced

Council

Tax

Contact

their

local

council

to

find

out

if

this

affects

them

Effect

on

your

benefits

When

you

claim

Carer

’s

Allowance

your

other

benefit

payments

may

change

but

your

total

benefit

payments

will

usually

either

go

up

or

stay

the

same

Carer

’s

Allowance

does

not

count

towards

the

benefit

cap

If

you

get

Working

Tax

Credit

or

Child

Tax

Credit

you

must

contact

HM

Revenue

and

Customs

HMRC

to

tell

them

about

your

Carer

’s

Allowance

claim

If

you

get

Pension

Credit

your

payments

will

increase

if

you

’re

eligible

for

Carer

’s

Allowance

If

you

delay

claiming

your

State

Pension

this

could

increase

the

State

Pension

payments

you

get

when

you

decide

to

claim

it

You

can

not

build

up

extra

State

Pension

during

any

period

you

get

Carer

’s

Allowance

Use

a

benefits

calculator

to

work

out

how

your

other

benefits

will

be

affected

Make

a

claim

Before

you

apply

make

sure

you

have

your

National

Insurance

number

if

you

have

a

partner

you

’ll

need

theirs

too

bank

or

building

society

details

unless

you

get

your

State

Pension

employment

details

and

latest

payslip

if

you

’re

working

if

you

’ve

recently

finished

work

course

details

if

you

’re

studying

details

of

any

expenses

for

example

pension

contributions

or

the

cost

of

caring

for

your

children

or

the

disabled

person

while

you

’re

at

work

You

also

need

details

of

the

person

you

care

for

You

need

their

date

of

birth

and

address

National

Insurance

number

if

they

’re

or

over

Disability

Living

Allowance

reference

if

they

’re

under

You

can

backdate

your

claim

by

up

to

months

Apply

now

Other

ways

to

apply

If

you

can

not

apply

online

you

can

apply

by

post

The

address

to

send

your

application

to

is

at

the

end

of

the

form

If

you

disagree

with

a

decision

You

can

challenge

a

decision

about

your

claim

This

is

called

asking

for

mandatory

reconsideration

Report

a

change

in

circumstances

You

must

report

changes

in

your

circumstances

if

you

’re

claiming

or

have

applied

for

Carer

’s

Allowance

Changes

can

include

starting

a

job

starting

or

ending

full

time

education

changes

to

your

income

stopping

being

a

carer

the

person

you

care

for

no

longer

getting

their

disability

benefit

someone

else

who

cares

for

the

same

person

claiming

Carer

’s

Allowance

instead

of

you

someone

else

who

cares

for

the

same

person

claims

the

carer

’s

element

of

Universal

Credit

changes

to

your

immigration

status

if

you

’re

not

a

British

citizen

You

must

tell

the

Department

for

Work

and

Pensions

if

the

person

you

’re

caring

for

dies

You

could

be

taken

to

court

or

have

to

pay

a

penalty

if

you

give

wrong

information

or

do

not

report

a

change

in

your

circumstances

If

you

temporarily

stop

providing

care

for

someone

You

can

still

get

Carer

’s

Allowance

if

you

temporarily

stop

providing

care

This

means

any

period

when

you

spend

less

than

hours

a

week

caring

for

the

other

person

The

person

you

care

for

must

still

receive

their

disability

benefit

You

must

tell

DWP

if

you

temporarily

stop

providing

care

and

you

or

the

person

you

care

for

will

be

in

hospital

a

nursing

home

or

respite

care

for

more

than

weeks

you

stop

caring

for

more

than

days

for

any

other

reason

If

you

’ve

been

paid

too

much

You

may

have

to

repay

the

money

if

you

did

not

report

a

change

straight

away

gave

wrong

information

were

overpaid

by

mistake

Find

out

how

to

repay

the

money

you

owe

from

benefit

overpayment

If

you

’re

working

You

can

work

and

get

Carer

’s

Allowance

as

long

as

you

spend

at

least

hours

in

your

caring

role

You

can

get

support

for

you

or

the

person

you

care

for

from

your

employer

local

councils

and

other

organisations

Time

off

for

an

emergency

You

can

ask

your

employer

for

time

off

to

deal

with

an

emergency

involving

someone

else

who

depends

on

you

for

care

How

much

time

off

you

get

depends

on

your

situation

If

you

do

not

qualify

for

time

off

your

employer

may

allow

you

compassionate

leave

for

emergency

situations

Flexible

working

If

you

need

to

work

more

flexibly

for

example

work

part

time

or

work

from

home

you

can

request

flexible

working

You

do

not

have

to

tell

your

employer

about

your

caring

role

or

give

another

reason

why

you

need

to

work

more

flexibly

Respite

care

or

short

break

care

If

you

need

someone

to

help

look

after

the

person

you

care

for

while

you

’re

at

work

you

can

apply

for

respite

care

also

known

as

short

break

care

Respite

care

options

include

getting

a

paid

carer

or

a

volunteer

to

sit

with

the

person

you

look

after

for

a

few

hours

a

regular

place

in

a

day

care

centre

for

the

person

you

care

for

Your

local

council

may

pay

for

respite

care

but

you

and

the

person

you

care

for

will

need

an

assessment

before

you

can

apply

Contact

your

local

authority

for

information

about

local

support

Advice

on

starting

work

If

you

need

help

starting

or

returning

to

work

contact

your

local

Jobcentre

Plus

for

help

on

how

to

combine

work

with

your

caring

responsibilities


Overview

Mortgage

Interest

Run

On

is

extra

money

you

can

get

towards

your

housing

costs

if

certain

other

benefits

are

stopping

because

you

’re

returning

to

work

full

time

working

more

hours

earning

more

money

You

can

get

this

help

for

weeks

What

you

'll

get

If

you

’re

eligible

and

were

getting

Support

for

Mortgage

Interest

before

your

work

situation

changed

you

’ll

usually

continue

to

get

the

same

amount

as

you

were

getting

before

your

benefits

stopped

Payments

for

your

mortgage

or

loan

interest

will

be

paid

direct

to

you

instead

of

to

your

lender

Eligibility

You

can

claim

Mortgage

Interest

Run

On

if

you

’ve

stopped

getting

income

based

Jobseeker

’s

Allowance

Income

Support

or

income

related

Employment

and

Support

Allowance

because

you

’re

returning

to

work

full

time

working

more

hours

earning

more

money

All

of

the

following

must

also

apply

you

’ve

been

claiming

the

benefit

continuously

for

at

least

weeks

you

expect

the

work

or

more

money

to

last

for

weeks

or

more

you

were

entitled

to

help

with

your

housing

costs

before

your

work

started

and

you

’ll

still

have

these

costs

when

you

start

work

How

to

claim

You

do

n’t

need

to

apply

you

should

get

Mortgage

Interest

Run

On

automatically

You

just

need

to

let

your

Jobcentre

Plus

office

know

as

soon

as

you

’re

starting

work


How

it

works

You

could

get

a

Funeral

Expenses

Payment

also

called

a

Funeral

Payment

if

you

get

certain

benefits

and

need

help

to

pay

for

a

funeral

you

’re

arranging

This

guide

is

also

available

in

Welsh

Cymraeg

If

you

live

in

Scotland

You

can

apply

for

a

Funeral

Support

Payment

It

has

replaced

Funeral

Expenses

Payment

in

Scotland

If

you

receive

money

from

the

deceased

’s

estate

Your

Funeral

Expenses

Payment

will

be

deducted

from

any

money

you

get

from

the

deceased

’s

estate

The

estate

includes

any

money

or

property

they

had

but

not

a

house

or

personal

things

left

to

a

widow

widower

or

surviving

civil

partner

What

you

’ll

get

Funeral

Expenses

Payment

can

help

pay

for

some

of

the

costs

of

the

following

burial

fees

for

a

particular

plot

cremation

fees

including

the

cost

of

the

doctor

’s

certificate

travel

to

arrange

or

go

to

the

funeral

the

cost

of

moving

the

body

within

the

UK

if

it

’s

being

moved

more

than

miles

death

certificates

or

other

documents

You

can

also

get

up

to

for

any

other

funeral

expenses

such

as

funeral

director

’s

fees

flowers

or

the

coffin

The

payment

will

not

usually

cover

all

of

the

costs

of

the

funeral

How

much

you

get

depends

on

your

circumstances

This

includes

any

other

money

that

’s

available

to

cover

the

costs

for

example

from

an

insurance

policy

or

the

deceased

person

’s

estate

Check

the

claim

form

notes

for

full

details

of

what

Funeral

Expenses

Payment

covers

If

the

deceased

had

a

pre

paid

funeral

plan

you

can

only

get

up

to

to

help

pay

for

items

not

covered

by

their

plan

How

the

money

is

paid

Funeral

Expenses

Payment

is

paid

into

your

bank

building

society

or

credit

union

account

if

you

’ve

already

paid

for

the

funeral

The

money

will

be

paid

directly

to

the

organiser

of

the

funeral

for

example

the

funeral

director

if

you

have

not

paid

yet

Eligibility

You

can

get

a

Funeral

Expenses

Payment

if

all

of

the

following

apply

you

get

certain

benefits

or

tax

credits

you

meet

the

rules

on

your

relationship

with

the

deceased

you

’re

arranging

a

funeral

in

the

UK

the

European

Economic

Area

EEA

or

Switzerland

You

might

be

able

to

get

other

help

to

pay

for

the

funeral

if

you

’re

not

eligible

for

Funeral

Expenses

Payment

Benefits

and

tax

credits

you

must

get

You

or

your

partner

must

get

one

or

more

of

the

following

Income

Support

income

based

Jobseeker

’s

Allowance

income

related

Employment

and

Support

Allowance

Pension

Credit

Housing

Benefit

the

disability

or

severe

disability

element

of

Working

Tax

Credit

Child

Tax

Credit

Universal

Credit

You

might

also

be

eligible

if

you

’re

getting

a

Support

for

Mortgage

Interest

loan

You

can

still

claim

Funeral

Expenses

Payment

if

you

’ve

applied

for

these

benefits

and

you

’re

waiting

to

hear

about

your

claim

If

you

were

responsible

for

a

deceased

child

but

you

’re

not

their

parent

the

non

resident

parent

must

get

one

or

more

of

these

benefits

If

there

’s

a

close

relative

of

the

deceased

who

is

not

getting

one

of

these

benefits

you

might

not

be

able

to

claim

Funeral

Expenses

Payment

Rules

on

your

relationship

with

the

deceased

You

must

be

one

of

the

following

the

partner

of

the

deceased

when

they

died

a

close

relative

or

close

friend

of

the

deceased

the

parent

of

a

baby

stillborn

after

weeks

of

pregnancy

the

parent

or

person

responsible

for

a

deceased

child

who

was

under

or

under

and

in

approved

education

or

training

You

might

not

get

a

Funeral

Expenses

Payment

if

another

close

relative

of

the

deceased

such

as

a

sibling

or

parent

is

in

work

If

the

funeral

will

take

place

in

the

EEA

or

Switzerland

Contact

the

Social

Fund

to

check

if

you

’re

eligible

Make

a

claim

You

must

apply

within

months

of

the

funeral

even

if

you

’re

waiting

for

a

decision

on

a

qualifying

benefit

You

can

make

a

claim

before

the

funeral

if

you

’ve

got

an

invoice

or

signed

contract

from

the

funeral

director

It

can

not

be

an

estimate

If

you

get

Universal

Credit

you

will

not

get

a

decision

on

your

claim

until

after

your

next

payment

There

’s

a

different

way

to

claim

if

you

live

in

Northern

Ireland

How

to

claim

Claim

by

phone

by

calling

the

Bereavement

Service

helpline

An

adviser

will

also

help

you

claim

any

other

bereavement

benefits

you

might

be

entitled

to

You

can

also

claim

by

post

Download

and

fill

in

the

claim

form

then

send

it

to

the

address

on

the

form

Appeal

a

Funeral

Expenses

Payment

decision

You

can

appeal

to

the

Social

Security

and

Child

Support

Tribunal

if

you

disagree

with

a

decision

about

Funeral

Expenses

Payment


Tax

and

National

Insurance

Your

income

will

probably

change

after

the

death

of

your

husband

wife

or

civil

partner

If

you

get

extra

money

from

pensions

annuities

benefits

or

an

inheritance

you

may

need

to

pay

more

tax

You

may

be

on

a

lower

income

and

need

to

pay

less

tax

Your

tax

allowances

the

income

you

do

not

pay

tax

on

may

also

change

Income

you

must

report

Tell

HMRC

if

you

get

interest

from

a

bank

building

society

or

a

National

Savings

and

Investment

product

eg

pensioner

income

capital

bonds

income

from

letting

out

property

income

from

Purchased

Life

Annuities

Widowed

Parent

’s

Allowance

or

Bereavement

Allowance

Carer

’s

Allowance

foreign

pension

payments

other

income

that

should

have

been

taxed

but

has

not

been

You

do

not

need

to

tell

HMRC

about

income

your

employer

pays

tax

on

through

PAYE

income

from

a

private

pension

income

which

does

not

get

taxed

eg

from

an

Individual

Savings

Account

ISA

any

income

if

you

’ll

reach

State

Pension

age

within

months

getting

Jobseeker

’s

Allowance

JSA

Incapacity

Benefit

Employment

and

Support

Allowance

ESA

or

Bereavement

Support

Payment

How

to

tell

HMRC

Tell

HMRC

about

a

change

in

your

income

in

your

next

Self

Assessment

tax

return

if

you

’re

registered

for

Self

Assessment

by

phone

Tax

allowances

If

you

pay

Income

Tax

you

’ll

have

a

Personal

Allowance

income

you

do

not

pay

tax

on

Your

allowance

may

change

if

your

income

changes

HMRC

will

automatically

adjust

your

Personal

Allowance

when

you

tell

them

about

your

change

of

income

Married

Couple

’s

Allowance

If

you

or

your

husband

wife

or

civil

partner

were

born

before

April

you

may

have

been

claiming

Married

Couple

’s

Allowance

You

’ll

still

get

the

allowance

for

the

current

tax

year

up

to

April

but

HMRC

will

automatically

stop

it

after

that

and

you

’ll

get

just

your

Personal

Allowance

Blind

Person

’s

Allowance

If

your

husband

wife

or

civil

partner

was

claiming

Blind

Person

’s

Allowance

ask

HMRC

to

transfer

what

’s

left

of

their

Blind

Person

’s

Allowance

for

the

current

tax

year

up

to

April

to

you

Reduced

rate

National

Insurance

If

you

’re

a

widow

and

you

were

married

before

April

you

might

be

paying

a

reduced

rate

of

National

Insurance

sometimes

called

the

small

stamp

You

may

be

able

to

keep

paying

the

reduced

rate

Contact

HMRC

to

find

out

what

you

should

do

Benefits

You

’ll

have

to

make

new

claims

for

some

benefits

that

your

husband

wife

or

civil

partner

was

claiming

for

your

family

You

may

also

be

able

to

claim

other

benefits

to

help

with

your

bereavement

or

if

you

’re

on

a

lower

income

because

of

the

death

Bereavement

benefits

You

may

be

able

to

get

Funeral

Expenses

Payment

to

help

towards

the

cost

of

a

funeral

if

you

’re

on

a

low

income

Bereavement

Support

Payment

if

your

husband

wife

or

civil

partner

died

on

or

after

April

Widowed

Parent

’s

Allowance

if

your

husband

wife

or

civil

partner

died

before

April

and

you

have

at

least

one

dependent

child

Phone

the

Department

for

Work

and

Pensions

DWP

Bereavement

Service

to

check

if

you

can

get

bereavement

benefits

the

death

will

affect

any

other

benefits

you

’re

already

claiming

You

’ll

have

to

make

new

claims

for

Child

Benefit

and

tax

credits

if

your

husband

wife

or

civil

partner

was

claiming

them

Child

Benefit

You

’ll

need

to

make

a

new

claim

for

Child

Benefit

if

you

were

not

the

person

named

as

the

claimant

on

the

original

claim

form

Tax

credits

You

should

tell

the

Tax

Credit

Office

about

the

death

within

one

month

if

you

have

not

already

heard

from

them

Phone

the

Tax

Credit

Helpline

to

report

the

death

If

your

income

is

lower

You

may

be

able

to

get

benefits

if

you

’re

on

a

lower

income

following

the

death

of

your

husband

wife

or

civil

partner

Use

a

benefits

calculator

to

work

out

what

benefits

you

can

get

and

find

out

how

to

claim

You

may

also

be

able

to

apply

for

Winter

Fuel

Payment

if

you

were

born

on

or

before

July

Cold

Weather

Payment

if

you

’re

on

a

low

income

Warm

Home

Discount

Scheme

You

may

have

to

pay

Income

Tax

on

some

benefits

you

claim

Pensions

You

may

be

able

to

get

extra

pension

payments

from

your

husband

wife

or

civil

partner

’s

pension

or

National

Insurance

contributions

State

Pension

You

need

to

be

over

State

Pension

age

to

claim

extra

payments

from

your

husband

wife

or

civil

partner

’s

State

Pension

What

you

get

and

how

you

claim

will

depend

on

whether

you

reached

State

Pension

age

before

or

after

April

Contact

the

Pension

Service

to

check

what

you

can

claim

If

you

reached

State

Pension

age

before

April

You

’ll

get

any

State

Pension

based

on

your

husband

wife

or

civil

partner

’s

National

Insurance

contribution

when

you

claim

your

own

pension

You

will

not

get

it

if

you

remarry

or

form

a

new

civil

partnership

before

you

reach

State

Pension

age

If

you

reached

State

Pension

age

on

or

after

April

You

’ll

receive

the

new

State

Pension

and

you

may

be

able

to

inherit

an

extra

payment

on

top

of

your

pension

Private

pensions

You

may

get

payments

from

your

husband

wife

or

civil

partner

’s

workplace

personal

or

stakeholder

pension

it

will

depend

on

the

pension

scheme

Contact

the

pension

scheme

to

find

out

You

’ll

have

to

pay

tax

on

those

payments

if

the

pension

provider

does

not

pay

it

for

you

War

Widow

’s

or

Widower

’s

Pension

You

may

be

able

to

get

War

Widow

’s

or

Widower

Pension

if

your

husband

wife

or

civil

partner

died

because

of

their

service

in

the

Armed

Forces

or

because

of

a

war


What

corrections

can

be

made

You

can

apply

for

a

birth

registration

correction

when

the

information

is

wrong

for

example

if

a

mistake

was

made

when

recording

a

parent

’s

occupation

You

can

not

apply

for

a

correction

to

show

new

information

if

circumstances

change

after

you

’ve

registered

your

child

’s

birth

for

example

if

you

change

your

name

after

getting

married

again

However

you

can

apply

to

re

register

the

birth

if

the

natural

parents

get

married

at

a

later

date

Removing

the

wrong

father

’s

details

You

can

apply

to

change

who

the

recorded

father

is

if

you

can

prove

that

the

man

named

on

the

certificate

is

not

the

natural

father

of

the

child

Examples

of

proof

include

a

DNA

test

record

from

an

approved

tester

a

court

order

evidence

that

confirms

the

name

of

the

true

biological

father

other

evidence

that

confirms

the

recorded

father

could

not

have

been

the

child

’s

natural

father

What

happens

if

you

change

gender

If

you

get

your

gender

change

legally

recognised

you

’ll

be

able

to

order

a

new

birth

certificate

with

your

new

gender

on

it

What

the

correction

looks

like

If

your

application

is

approved

a

correction

is

made

in

the

register

in

the

office

for

the

area

where

your

child

was

born

The

original

information

will

always

be

shown

in

the

register

After

the

correction

has

been

authorised

a

note

will

be

added

to

the

margin

of

the

register

This

will

explain

what

the

correct

information

is

and

when

the

correction

was

made

All

full

birth

certificates

that

are

issued

after

the

correction

will

include

the

note

in

the

margin

Short

birth

certificates

only

include

the

child

’s

details

and

will

not

have

a

note

in

the

margin

they

just

show

any

correct

new

details

Who

can

apply

The

following

people

can

apply

for

a

correction

the

mother

the

father

if

his

details

are

on

the

certificate

If

you

’re

applying

to

change

a

child

’s

name

and

both

parents

are

named

on

the

certificate

both

must

sign

the

application

form

The

child

named

on

the

certificate

may

be

able

to

apply

for

a

correction

if

their

parents

are

not

available

Removing

the

wrong

father

’s

details

It

is

not

always

necessary

for

the

named

father

to

take

part

in

the

correction

process

The

General

Register

Office

GRO

can

correct

the

entry

if

of

the

following

people

apply

to

have

it

changed

the

mother

the

natural

father

the

man

named

on

the

birth

certificate

as

the

father

At

least

one

of

these

must

sign

the

application

form

You

need

to

provide

contact

addresses

for

the

mother

the

man

named

as

the

father

on

the

certificate

and

the

true

biological

father

if

he

took

part

in

a

DNA

test

How

to

apply

It

costs

or

to

apply

to

correct

a

mistake

in

a

birth

registration

Contact

the

register

office

where

your

child

’s

birth

was

registered

to

find

out

how

to

send

your

application

the

cost

and

how

to

pay

Fill

in

the

relevant

application

form

and

send

it

to

the

register

office

correct

details

on

a

birth

registration

remove

incorrect

father

’s

details

from

a

birth

registration

There

’s

a

different

process

for

correcting

registrations

made

in

Northern

Ireland

and

Scotland

Proving

the

registration

is

wrong

You

’ll

need

to

show

that

the

information

given

at

the

time

of

the

registration

was

wrong

You

must

send

in

documents

with

your

application

that

show

what

the

correct

information

should

have

been

These

documents

should

be

valid

or

dated

around

the

time

your

child

was

born

Documents

you

can

send

in

include

a

passport

photocard

driving

licence

bank

building

society

or

credit

card

statement

letter

from

a

hospital

or

doctor

letter

from

a

government

department

If

you

are

not

able

to

send

in

proof

corrections

can

not

usually

be

made

All

certified

copies

sent

with

the

application

will

be

destroyed

if

you

do

not

ask

for

them

to

be

returned

Proof

the

wrong

father

is

on

the

certificate

You

’ll

need

to

prove

that

the

man

named

on

the

certificate

is

not

the

natural

father

of

the

child

Examples

of

proof

include

a

DNA

test

record

from

an

approved

tester

a

court

order

evidence

that

confirms

the

name

of

the

true

biological

father

other

evidence

that

confirms

the

recorded

father

could

not

have

been

the

child

’s

natural

father

Sending

in

certified

documents

You

should

only

send

in

documents

that

have

been

certified

as

true

copies

of

the

original

Witnessing

the

correction

If

the

correction

is

being

made

at

your

register

office

you

need

to

arrange

an

appointment

with

them

When

you

go

in

you

’ll

witness

the

correction

and

sign

the

note

made

in

the

birth

register

If

you

’re

applying

to

the

General

Register

Office

GRO

to

make

the

correction

you

can

say

on

the

application

form

if

you

want

to

witness

the

correction

Statutory

declaration

If

you

’re

applying

to

correct

a

serious

mistake

such

as

the

name

of

a

person

the

GRO

may

ask

you

to

make

a

statutory

declaration

about

the

correction

and

send

it

to

them

This

means

you

have

to

make

a

legal

statement

in

front

of

someone

like

a

judge

or

solicitor

that

they

must

sign

sometimes

called

attesting

an

oath

If

you

make

a

statutory

declaration

you

will

not

have

to

witness

the

correction

You

may

have

to

pay

a

fee

for

a

statutory

declaration

How

long

applications

take

There

is

no

set

time

for

how

long

applications

will

take

It

can

take

up

to

days

for

you

to

get

a

reply

Advice

If

you

want

further

advice

on

applying

to

make

a

correction

contact

the

register

office

or

the

General

Register

Office

GRO


Overview

You

may

not

be

able

to

register

a

birth

at

the

moment

because

of

coronavirus

You

’ll

be

able

to

register

at

a

later

date

Find

out

if

you

can

register

a

birth

now

by

contacting

the

local

register

office

asking

at

the

hospital

where

the

baby

was

born

before

the

mother

leaves

There

are

different

rules

for

registering

a

birth

in

Scotland

registering

a

birth

in

Northern

Ireland

and

registering

a

birth

abroad

Information

you

need

when

registering

a

birth

When

registering

the

birth

you

should

know

place

and

date

of

the

birth

name

surname

and

sex

of

the

baby

parents

names

surnames

and

address

places

and

dates

of

parents

birth

date

of

parents

marriage

or

civil

partnership

parents

jobs

mother

’s

maiden

surname

What

you

should

take

If

you

can

register

the

birth

you

should

take

at

least

one

form

of

identification

when

you

go

to

the

register

office

You

can

use

passport

birth

certificate

deed

poll

driving

licence

proof

of

address

for

example

a

utility

bill

Council

Tax

bill

marriage

or

civil

partnership

certificate

You

should

also

take

your

child

’s

personal

child

health

record

or

red

book

as

some

registrars

may

ask

to

see

it

If

you

’re

going

to

the

register

office

on

your

own

you

may

need

proof

of

paternity

from

the

other

parent

before

you

give

their

details

Organisations

you

need

to

contact

Having

a

child

might

affect

your

tax

your

benefits

and

services

from

your

local

council

The

Tell

Us

Once

service

can

report

a

birth

to

the

Department

for

Work

and

Pensions

DWP

and

your

local

council

in

one

go

The

registrar

will

let

you

know

if

this

service

is

available

in

your

area

When

you

go

to

a

Tell

Us

Once

appointment

you

’ll

be

asked

about

the

people

who

’ll

be

named

on

the

birth

register

any

partners

that

live

with

them

For

each

person

you

’ll

need

to

know

their

address

and

phone

number

their

date

of

birth

their

National

Insurance

number

details

of

any

benefits

they

get

or

have

applied

for

If

the

Tell

Us

Once

service

is

not

available

in

your

area

you

’ll

need

to

contact

Jobcentre

Plus

and

your

local

council

about

your

benefits

and

services

After

the

birth

is

registered

Once

you

’ve

registered

the

birth

you

may

be

able

to

claim

Child

Benefit

Child

Tax

Credit

Who

can

register

a

birth

Opposite

sex

couples

Married

or

civil

partner

parents

Either

parent

can

register

the

birth

on

their

own

They

can

include

both

parents

details

if

they

were

married

or

in

a

civil

partnership

when

the

baby

was

born

or

conceived

Unmarried

parents

The

details

of

both

parents

can

be

included

on

the

birth

certificate

if

one

of

the

following

happens

they

sign

the

birth

register

together

one

parent

completes

a

statutory

declaration

of

parentage

form

and

the

other

takes

the

signed

form

to

register

the

birth

one

parent

goes

to

register

the

birth

with

a

document

from

the

court

for

example

a

court

order

giving

the

father

parental

responsibility

The

mother

can

choose

to

register

the

birth

without

the

child

’s

father

if

they

’re

not

married

or

in

a

civil

partnership

The

father

’s

details

will

not

be

included

on

the

birth

certificate

It

might

be

possible

to

add

the

father

’s

details

at

a

later

date

by

completing

an

application

for

the

re

registration

of

a

child

’s

birth

Same

sex

female

couples

Female

couples

can

include

both

their

names

on

their

child

’s

birth

certificate

when

registering

the

birth

Married

or

civil

partner

parents

Either

parent

can

register

the

birth

on

their

own

if

all

of

the

following

are

true

the

mother

has

a

child

by

donor

insemination

or

fertility

treatment

she

was

married

or

in

a

civil

partnership

at

the

time

of

the

treatment

Unmarried

non

civil

partner

parents

When

a

mother

is

not

married

or

in

a

civil

partnership

her

partner

can

be

seen

as

the

child

’s

second

parent

if

both

women

are

treated

together

in

the

UK

by

a

licensed

clinic

have

made

a

parenthood

agreement

However

for

both

parents

details

to

be

recorded

on

the

birth

certificate

they

must

do

one

of

the

following

register

the

birth

jointly

complete

a

Statutory

declaration

of

acknowledgement

of

parentage

form

and

one

parent

takes

the

signed

form

when

she

registers

the

birth

get

a

document

from

the

court

for

example

a

court

order

giving

the

second

female

parent

parental

responsibility

and

one

parent

shows

the

document

when

she

registers

the

birth

Same

sex

male

couples

Male

couples

must

get

a

parental

order

from

the

court

before

they

can

be

registered

as

parents

Other

people

who

can

register

a

birth

If

the

parents

can

not

register

the

birth

for

example

for

medical

reasons

certain

other

people

can

do

it

someone

who

was

present

at

the

birth

someone

who

is

responsible

for

the

child

a

member

of

the

administrative

staff

at

the

hospital

where

the

child

was

born

Birth

certificates

You

may

not

get

a

certificate

straight

away

because

of

coronavirus

The

register

office

will

tell

you

when

you

can

get

a

certificate

There

are

types

of

birth

certificate

the

short

version

which

contains

only

the

baby

’s

details

the

full

version

which

also

contains

the

parents

details

Once

you

have

registered

the

birth

you

’ll

be

able

to

buy

a

short

or

full

certificate

for

your

baby

Both

kinds

cost


Overview

You

can

make

a

claim

to

cancel

revoke

or

change

vary

the

details

of

a

declaration

of

presumed

death

from

the

High

Court

if

you

can

prove

the

missing

person

is

still

alive

died

at

a

time

earlier

or

later

than

the

time

of

death

in

the

original

declaration

You

can

also

make

a

claim

if

you

can

prove

there

are

other

circumstances

that

mean

the

declaration

of

presumed

death

should

be

cancelled

or

changed

The

rules

are

different

in

Scotland

and

Northern

Ireland

Fees

It

costs

to

change

or

cancel

a

declaration

of

presumed

death

Read

the

fees

leaflet

to

find

out

when

you

might

not

have

to

pay

Make

a

claim

for

a

declaration

of

presumed

death

You

can

make

a

claim

yourself

or

use

a

legal

representative

Make

your

claim

Advertise

your

claim

in

a

newspaper

Attend

a

hearing

Make

a

claim

Download

and

fill

in

claim

form

You

’re

known

as

the

claimant

if

you

’re

making

the

claim

Read

the

guidance

on

filling

in

form

Include

all

the

information

asked

for

in

claim

for

variation

order

in

your

application

Send

the

claim

to

a

court

that

can

hear

High

Court

cases

You

should

include

form

one

copy

for

each

person

named

in

the

form

plus

a

copy

for

the

court

the

claim

fee

of

make

your

cheque

payable

to

HM

Courts

and

Tribunals

Service

The

court

will

stamp

your

form

with

an

issue

date

and

keep

one

copy

of

your

form

You

’ll

get

the

other

copies

back

along

with

acknowledgement

of

service

forms

and

a

case

number

Send

copies

of

your

claim

to

other

people

Send

a

copy

of

form

with

an

acknowledgment

of

service

form

within

days

of

the

issue

date

the

court

has

put

on

the

form

to

the

person

who

made

the

original

claim

the

missing

person

’s

spouse

or

civil

partner

parents

children

and

siblings

if

of

these

are

alive

send

it

to

the

missing

person

’s

nearest

relative

any

other

person

or

organisation

who

might

have

an

interest

eg

an

insurance

company

You

must

advertise

your

claim

in

a

newspaper

within

days

Advertise

your

claim

in

a

newspaper

You

must

advertise

your

claim

in

a

newspaper

local

to

the

missing

person

’s

last

known

address

Place

the

advert

within

days

of

the

issue

date

stamped

on

the

claim

form

Use

standard

text

for

the

advert

Use

the

following

text

You

’ll

need

to

delete

some

words

and

replace

others

in

the

square

brackets

with

the

right

details

Standard

text

In

the

High

Court

of

Justice

Chancery

Family

Division

Case

number

insert

case

number

In

the

matter

of

an

application

for

a

declaration

of

the

presumed

death

of

insert

the

missing

person

’s

name

A

claim

has

been

issued

in

the

High

Court

of

Justice

for

a

variation

of

a

declaration

that

insert

missing

person

’s

name

whose

last

known

address

was

insert

missing

person

’s

address

is

presumed

to

be

dead

Any

person

having

an

interest

may

apply

to

the

court

to

intervene

in

the

matter

If

you

wish

to

apply

to

the

court

you

should

do

so

at

court

address

as

soon

as

possible

and

if

possible

within

days

of

the

date

of

this

notice

Delay

may

harm

your

prospects

of

being

able

to

intervene

If

the

claimant

is

legally

represented

Name

of

the

claimant

’s

legal

representative

Address

of

the

claimant

’s

legal

representative

If

the

claimant

is

not

legally

represented

Claimant

’s

address

for

service

You

’re

known

as

the

claimant

if

you

’re

making

the

claim

Send

a

copy

to

the

court

Send

the

court

a

copy

of

the

newspaper

page

showing

the

advertisement

It

must

arrive

at

least

days

before

your

court

hearing

Attend

a

hearing

You

’ll

have

to

attend

a

hearing

about

your

claim

with

a

High

Court

judge

this

should

be

within

months

of

making

your

claim

Bring

any

relevant

documents

Your

claim

may

be

challenged

by

someone

who

’s

received

a

copy

of

the

claim

form

or

seen

the

advert

At

the

hearing

you

might

be

asked

for

more

information

the

court

will

tell

you

how

to

get

a

court

order

if

someone

’s

refusing

to

give

you

information

you

need

be

told

there

has

to

be

another

hearing

there

may

be

several

hearings

before

a

decision

is

made

If

the

court

agrees

with

your

application

you

’ll

get

the

order

changed

or

cancelled

at

the

hearing

or

by

letter

later

Get

a

certificate

of

presumed

death

Apply

to

the

General

Register

Office

for

a

certificate

of

presumed

death

You

can

only

do

this

after

you

have

a

declaration

of

presumed

death

that

is

not

appealed

and

the

time

for

appealing

against

the

decision

has

passed

You

can

usually

apply

for

the

certificate

days

after

you

get

the

declaration

unless

there

’s

an

appeal

or

an

application

for

permission

to

appeal

the

decision

The

certificate

can

be

used

like

a

normal

death

certificate

eg

to

deal

with

a

missing

person

’s

estate

It

costs

The

certificate

will

state

when

the

missing

person

is

presumed

to

have

died

Call

the

General

Register

Office

to

get

a

certificate

Appeal

a

decision

Call

or

write

to

the

Civil

Appeals

Office

to

appeal

against

the

High

Court

’s

decision

Make

a

complaint

Use

the

complaints

guidance

if

you

’re

not

happy

with

the

way

you

’ve

been

treated

You

can

not

complain

about

the

decision


Overview

Your

will

lets

you

decide

what

happens

to

your

money

property

and

possessions

after

your

death

If

you

make

a

will

you

can

also

make

sure

you

do

not

pay

more

Inheritance

Tax

than

you

need

to

You

can

write

your

will

yourself

but

you

should

get

advice

if

your

will

is

not

straightforward

You

need

to

get

your

will

formally

witnessed

and

signed

to

make

it

legally

valid

If

you

want

to

update

your

will

you

need

to

make

an

official

alteration

called

a

codicil

or

make

a

new

will

If

you

die

without

a

will

the

law

decides

who

gets

what

Write

your

will

Your

will

should

set

out

who

you

want

to

benefit

from

your

will

who

should

look

after

any

children

under

who

is

going

to

sort

out

your

estate

and

carry

out

your

wishes

after

your

death

your

executor

what

happens

if

the

people

you

want

to

benefit

die

before

you

You

can

also

include

a

charity

in

your

will

When

you

need

legal

advice

You

can

get

advice

from

a

professional

if

your

will

is

not

straightforward

for

example

you

share

a

property

with

someone

who

is

not

your

husband

wife

or

civil

partner

you

want

to

leave

money

or

property

to

a

dependant

who

can

not

care

for

themselves

you

have

several

family

members

who

may

make

a

claim

on

your

will

such

as

a

second

spouse

or

children

from

another

marriage

your

permanent

home

is

outside

the

UK

you

have

property

overseas

you

have

a

business

Keep

your

will

safe

You

can

keep

your

will

at

your

home

or

store

it

with

your

solicitor

your

bank

a

company

that

offers

the

storage

of

wills

you

can

search

online

the

London

Probate

Service

Read

full

guidance

on

storing

your

will

with

the

Probate

Service

You

should

tell

your

executor

the

person

you

’ve

chosen

to

carry

out

your

will

a

close

friend

or

relative

where

your

will

is

Make

sure

your

will

is

legal

For

your

will

to

be

legally

valid

you

must

be

or

over

make

it

voluntarily

be

of

sound

mind

make

it

in

writing

sign

it

in

the

presence

of

witnesses

who

are

both

over

have

it

signed

by

your

witnesses

in

your

presence

Signing

can

be

witnessed

both

in

person

and

remotely

for

example

by

video

conferencing

In

both

cases

you

must

have

a

clear

view

of

the

person

and

the

act

of

signing

the

will

maker

or

person

authorised

to

sign

on

their

behalf

and

witnesses

must

sign

the

same

document

You

can

only

sign

remotely

in

England

or

Wales

If

you

make

any

changes

to

your

will

you

must

follow

the

same

signing

and

witnessing

process

You

can

not

leave

your

witnesses

or

their

married

partners

anything

in

your

will

Update

your

will

You

should

review

your

will

every

years

and

after

any

major

change

in

your

life

for

example

getting

separated

or

divorced

getting

married

this

cancels

any

will

you

made

before

having

a

child

moving

house

if

the

executor

named

in

the

will

dies

Making

changes

to

your

will

You

can

not

amend

your

will

after

it

’s

been

signed

and

witnessed

The

only

way

you

can

change

a

will

is

by

making

an

official

alteration

called

a

codicil

You

must

sign

a

codicil

and

get

it

witnessed

in

the

same

way

as

witnessing

a

will

There

’s

no

limit

on

how

many

codicils

you

can

add

to

a

will

Making

a

new

will

For

major

changes

you

should

make

a

new

will

Your

new

will

should

explain

that

it

revokes

officially

cancels

all

previous

wills

and

codicils

You

should

destroy

your

old

will

by

burning

it

or

tearing

it

up


Overview

Business

Relief

reduces

the

value

of

a

business

or

its

assets

when

working

out

how

much

Inheritance

Tax

has

to

be

paid

Any

ownership

of

a

business

or

share

of

a

business

is

included

in

the

estate

for

Inheritance

Tax

purposes

You

can

get

Business

Relief

of

either

or

on

some

of

an

estate

’s

business

assets

which

can

be

passed

on

while

the

owner

is

still

alive

as

part

of

the

will

How

to

claim

relief

As

the

executor

of

the

will

or

administrator

of

the

estate

you

can

claim

Business

Relief

when

you

’re

valuing

the

estate

You

should

fill

in

both

form

Inheritance

Tax

account

schedule

Business

or

partnership

interests

and

assets

You

must

use

the

market

value

of

the

business

or

asset

when

calculating

relief

at

You

can

claim

relief

on

property

and

buildings

unlisted

shares

machinery

What

qualifies

for

Business

Relief

You

can

get

Business

Relief

on

a

business

or

interest

in

a

business

shares

in

an

unlisted

company

You

can

get

Business

Relief

on

shares

controlling

more

than

of

the

voting

rights

in

a

listed

company

land

buildings

or

machinery

owned

by

the

deceased

and

used

in

a

business

they

were

a

partner

in

or

controlled

land

buildings

or

machinery

used

in

the

business

and

held

in

a

trust

that

it

has

the

right

to

benefit

from

You

can

only

get

relief

if

the

deceased

owned

the

business

or

asset

for

at

least

years

before

they

died

What

does

n’t

qualify

for

Business

Relief

You

ca

n’t

claim

Business

Relief

if

the

company

mainly

deals

with

securities

stocks

or

shares

land

or

buildings

or

in

making

or

holding

investments

is

a

not

for

profit

organisation

is

being

sold

unless

the

sale

is

to

a

company

that

will

carry

on

the

business

and

the

estate

will

be

paid

mainly

in

shares

of

that

company

is

being

wound

up

unless

this

is

part

of

a

process

to

allow

the

business

of

the

company

to

carry

on

You

ca

n’t

claim

Business

Relief

on

an

asset

if

it

also

qualifies

for

Agricultural

Relief

was

n’t

used

mainly

for

business

in

the

years

before

it

was

either

passed

on

as

a

gift

or

as

part

of

the

will

is

n’t

needed

for

future

use

in

the

business

If

part

of

a

non

qualifying

asset

is

used

in

the

business

that

part

might

qualify

for

Business

Relief

Relief

for

agricultural

property

You

may

be

able

to

get

Business

Relief

on

a

transfer

of

agricultural

property

eg

farmland

buildings

or

farm

equipment

which

is

n’t

eligible

for

agricultural

relief

Give

away

business

property

or

assets

Someone

can

give

away

business

property

or

assets

while

they

’re

still

alive

and

the

estate

can

still

get

Business

Relief

on

Inheritance

Tax

as

long

as

the

property

or

assets

qualify

How

to

get

Business

Relief

on

a

gift

If

someone

gives

away

business

property

or

assets

the

recipient

must

keep

them

as

a

going

concern

until

the

death

of

the

donor

if

they

want

to

keep

the

relief

They

can

replace

the

property

or

assets

like

machinery

with

something

of

equal

value

if

it

’s

for

use

in

the

business

only

get

relief

if

the

donor

owned

the

business

or

asset

for

at

least

years

before

the

date

it

was

given

When

is

a

gift

no

longer

liable

for

Inheritance

Tax

Any

gift

made

more

than

years

before

the

donor

’s

death

does

n’t

count

towards

their

estate

for

Inheritance

Tax

purposes

You

may

have

to

pay

Capital

Gains

Tax

or

Income

Tax

if

you

sell

give

away

or

exchange

dispose

of

an

asset

or

property

if

it

’s

gone

up

in

value

during

the

time

you

owned

it


Overview

A

Child

Trust

Fund

CTF

is

a

long

term

tax

free

savings

account

for

children

You

can

not

apply

for

a

new

Child

Trust

Fund

because

the

scheme

is

now

closed

You

can

apply

for

a

Junior

ISA

instead

This

guide

is

also

available

in

Welsh

Cymraeg

If

you

already

have

a

Child

Trust

Fund

You

can

continue

to

add

up

to

a

year

to

your

CTF

account

The

money

belongs

to

the

child

and

they

can

only

take

it

out

when

they

’re

They

can

take

control

of

the

account

when

they

’re

There

’s

no

tax

to

pay

on

the

CTF

income

or

any

profit

it

makes

It

will

not

affect

any

benefits

or

tax

credits

you

receive

Managing

the

account

If

you

’re

the

main

contact

for

the

Child

Trust

Fund

CTF

account

you

’re

called

the

registered

contact

You

have

certain

responsibilities

until

the

child

turns

or

until

the

child

takes

control

of

their

own

account

Your

responsibilities

as

the

registered

contact

You

’re

the

only

person

who

can

tell

the

account

provider

how

to

invest

the

fund

and

run

the

account

change

the

address

and

other

personal

details

change

the

type

of

account

for

example

from

cash

to

stocks

and

shares

move

the

account

to

another

provider

Contact

your

CTF

provider

to

do

this

Moving

to

a

different

account

You

can

transfer

a

CTF

account

to

a

Junior

ISA

Contact

a

Junior

ISA

provider

to

do

this

Records

you

need

to

keep

Keep

the

following

paperwork

your

child

’s

Unique

Reference

Number

you

’ll

find

this

on

your

annual

CTF

statement

the

account

statements

details

of

the

account

type

and

the

provider

Change

a

registered

contact

You

can

change

the

registered

contact

to

someone

with

parental

responsibility

for

the

child

like

a

parent

step

parent

or

legal

guardian

if

both

parties

agree

to

this

Your

CTF

provider

can

tell

you

how

to

change

the

registered

contact

of

a

CTF

account

When

your

child

is

or

Once

your

child

turns

they

can

either

take

over

the

account

by

contacting

the

CTF

provider

leave

you

in

charge

of

the

account

When

the

child

turns

they

take

over

the

account

and

can

take

out

the

money

If

your

child

lacks

the

mental

capacity

to

manage

their

account

when

it

matures

You

or

a

close

friend

or

relative

need

to

apply

to

the

Court

of

Protection

COP

for

a

financial

deputyship

order

so

you

can

manage

your

child

’s

account

when

they

turn

Once

the

account

matures

the

money

can

either

be

taken

out

or

transferred

into

an

ISA

In

Scotland

applications

need

to

be

made

to

the

Office

of

the

Public

Guardian

in

Scotland

In

Northern

Ireland

applications

need

to

be

made

to

the

Office

of

Care

and

Protection

Add

money

to

the

account

Anyone

can

pay

money

into

a

Child

Trust

Fund

CTF

account

You

can

not

apply

for

a

new

Child

Trust

Fund

because

the

scheme

is

now

closed

You

can

apply

for

a

Junior

ISA

instead

How

much

you

can

add

You

can

put

up

to

a

year

into

the

account

the

year

starts

on

the

child

’s

birthday

and

ends

the

day

before

their

next

birthday

If

you

do

not

use

the

limit

you

can

not

carry

any

unused

amount

over

to

the

following

year

How

to

pay

money

in

For

stakeholder

accounts

you

can

add

money

by

cheque

standing

order

direct

debit

For

savings

or

share

accounts

check

with

your

provider

Government

payments

Payments

made

by

the

government

do

not

count

towards

the

apart

from

payments

made

by

a

local

council

to

a

child

in

care

Find

a

Child

Trust

Fund

You

can

find

out

where

a

Child

Trust

Fund

CTF

is

held

if

you

do

not

know

the

provider

Fill

in

the

form

online

to

ask

HM

Revenue

and

Customs

HMRC

where

the

account

was

originally

opened

You

’ll

need

a

Government

Gateway

user

ID

and

password

If

you

do

not

have

a

user

ID

you

can

create

one

when

you

fill

in

the

online

form

If

you

’re

a

parent

looking

for

your

child

’s

trust

fund

you

’ll

need

either

the

child

’s

Unique

Reference

Number

you

’ll

find

this

on

your

annual

CTF

statement

their

National

Insurance

number

If

you

’re

looking

for

your

own

trust

fund

you

’ll

need

your

National

Insurance

number

HMRC

will

send

you

details

of

the

CTF

provider

by

post

within

weeks

of

receiving

your

request

HMRC

will

contact

you

for

more

information

if

you

’ve

adopted

the

child

or

a

court

has

given

you

parental

responsibility

for

them

Applying

by

post

You

can

also

contact

HMRC

by

post

to

find

out

where

a

CTF

is

held

If

you

’re

a

parent

looking

for

your

child

’s

trust

fund

you

’ll

need

to

include

your

full

name

and

address

and

all

of

the

following

child

’s

full

name

and

address

child

’s

date

of

birth

child

’s

National

Insurance

number

or

Unique

Reference

Number

if

known

If

you

’re

looking

for

your

own

trust

fund

you

’ll

need

to

include

all

of

the

following

your

full

name

and

address

your

date

of

birth

your

National

Insurance

number

or

Unique

Reference

Number

if

known

Accounts

for

children

in

care

Some

children

looked

after

by

local

authorities

have

a

Child

Trust

Fund

CTF

account

set

up

on

their

behalf

The

Share

Foundation

acts

as

the

registered

contact

for

these

accounts

How

the

account

is

managed

The

Share

Foundation

manages

the

CTF

account

for

the

child

and

will

write

to

the

child

when

they

take

control

of

the

account

change

the

type

of

CTF

account

and

provider

if

necessary

and

write

to

the

child

to

explain

why

the

change

was

made

send

account

statements

to

the

child

They

’ll

manage

the

account

until

the

child

turns

the

child

turns

and

decides

to

manage

the

account

themselves

someone

takes

parental

responsibility

for

the

child

for

example

through

adoption

Take

over

the

management

of

an

account

Contact

the

Share

Foundation

if

you

’re

taking

parental

responsibility

for

a

child

and

want

to

manage

their

CTF

account

You

’ll

need

to

provide

evidence

of

parental

responsibility

for

example

an

adoption

certificate

You

’ll

get

a

letter

confirming

that

you

can

take

over

responsibility

for

the

account

Show

this

to

the

CTF

provider

who

can

update

the

account

to

say

you

’re

the

registered

contact

When

a

child

in

care

turns

The

Share

Foundation

will

write

to

the

child

about

months

before

their

birthday

telling

them

how

to

become

the

registered

contact

for

the

account

If

they

choose

to

take

control

of

the

account

they

can

start

managing

it

when

they

turn

withdraw

money

when

they

turn

If

your

child

is

terminally

ill

or

dies

If

your

child

is

terminally

ill

you

can

take

money

out

of

their

Child

Trust

Fund

CTF

account

If

they

die

the

money

passes

to

whoever

inherits

their

estate

property

and

possessions

If

your

child

is

terminally

ill

Terminally

ill

means

they

have

a

disease

or

illness

that

’s

going

to

get

worse

and

are

not

likely

to

live

more

than

months

Only

the

registered

contact

can

take

money

out

of

the

account

What

you

need

to

do

Fill

in

the

terminal

illness

early

access

form

to

let

HM

Revenue

and

Customs

HMRC

know

that

your

child

is

terminally

ill

you

want

to

take

the

money

out

of

the

account

You

’ll

need

to

provide

evidence

that

your

child

is

terminally

ill

If

your

child

dies

The

money

in

the

account

will

be

paid

to

the

person

who

inherits

the

child

’s

estate

This

is

often

one

of

the

child

’s

parents

but

if

your

child

was

married

it

could

be

their

husband

or

wife

If

you

get

Child

Benefit

for

a

child

who

has

died

this

can

still

carry

on

for

a

short

time

What

you

need

to

do

Tell

the

CTF

account

provider

They

’ll

usually

need

proof

for

example

the

death

certificate


Training

and

development

You

need

to

complete

the

training

support

and

development

standards

workbook

within

months

of

being

approved

to

foster

Contact

your

fostering

service

to

find

out

what

other

training

and

development

is

available

They

should

help

you

with

a

personal

development

plan

take

part

in

learning

and

development

sessions

The

Foster

Carers

Charter

explains

your

rights

as

a

foster

parent

You

do

not

have

a

statutory

right

to

time

off

work

to

care

for

foster

children

If

you

’re

fostering

for

adoption

you

’ll

be

entitled

to

adoption

pay

and

leave

from

when

the

child

comes

to

live

with

you

If

you

’re

considering

fostering

find

out

about

becoming

a

foster

parent

Help

with

the

cost

of

fostering

All

foster

parents

get

a

foster

care

allowance

to

help

cover

the

cost

of

caring

for

a

child

You

might

get

additional

payments

depending

on

if

the

child

has

specific

needs

how

many

children

you

’re

fostering

your

skills

and

experience

your

fostering

service

Contact

your

fostering

service

to

find

out

how

much

you

get

Minimum

weekly

allowance

The

minimum

allowance

you

’ll

get

depends

on

where

you

live

and

the

age

of

the

child

you

care

for

Age

to

Age

to

Age

to

Age

to

Age

to

London

South

East

Rest

of

England

These

figures

are

for

the

tax

year

from

April

to

April

They

’re

updated

every

April

Allowance

rates

when

the

child

is

Children

stop

being

in

care

when

they

reach

even

if

they

’re

still

living

with

you

There

is

no

minimum

allowance

when

your

child

is

old

enough

to

leave

foster

care

Contact

your

fostering

service

for

more

information

Expenses

You

may

be

able

to

apply

to

your

fostering

service

for

extra

money

to

help

with

things

like

school

trips

holidays

birthdays

religious

festivals

Tax

arrangements

You

should

have

registered

as

self

employed

when

you

started

to

foster

You

’ll

need

to

file

tax

returns

Check

with

your

fostering

service

what

you

need

to

do

In

your

tax

return

you

’ll

be

able

to

claim

a

tax

exemption

of

up

to

per

household

tax

relief

for

every

week

you

foster

a

child

This

is

known

as

qualifying

care

relief

You

may

be

entitled

to

National

Insurance

credits

which

count

towards

your

State

Pension

Tax

exemption

In

a

tax

year

households

do

not

pay

tax

on

the

first

they

earn

from

fostering

You

’ll

still

pay

tax

on

money

you

earn

from

a

job

or

investment

Tax

relief

On

top

of

the

exemption

you

also

get

tax

relief

for

every

week

or

part

week

that

a

child

is

in

your

care

This

means

you

do

not

have

to

pay

tax

on

some

of

your

earnings

over

Age

of

child

Tax

relief

Under

per

child

or

over

per

child

Claiming

benefits

Being

a

foster

parent

can

affect

your

benefits

Check

a

benefits

calculator

to

see

what

you

’re

eligible

for

If

you

’re

claiming

benefits

you

need

to

tell

the

organisation

that

pays

you

that

you

’re

also

getting

a

foster

care

allowance

You

can

get

disability

benefits

for

your

foster

child

if

they

meet

the

criteria

You

may

also

be

able

to

claim

Carer

’s

Allowance

if

your

foster

child

gets

Disability

Living

Allowance

or

Personal

Independence

Payment

For

more

help

on

how

your

benefits

may

change

you

can

speak

to

an

adviser

from

the

organisation

that

pays

you

Fosterline

a

free

fostering

advice

service

Making

decisions

for

your

foster

child

Your

foster

child

’s

placement

plan

should

tell

you

what

decisions

you

can

make

known

as

delegated

authority

There

are

different

levels

to

delegated

authority

day

to

day

decisions

like

dental

check

ups

hair

cuts

school

trips

parent

teacher

meetings

and

letting

your

child

go

to

sleepovers

long

term

decisions

like

which

school

a

child

goes

to

significant

decisions

made

by

the

local

authority

and

birth

parents

like

surgery

If

your

child

’s

placement

plan

does

not

tell

you

what

level

of

delegated

authority

you

have

you

should

contact

your

fostering

service

to

find

out

You

may

not

have

the

same

level

of

authority

for

each

child

you

foster

For

example

you

might

foster

children

and

have

the

right

to

sign

a

consent

form

for

one

of

them

Going

on

holiday

If

you

do

not

have

the

authority

to

take

your

foster

child

on

holiday

you

’ll

need

to

speak

to

their

social

worker

You

’ll

also

need

to

tell

your

child

’s

social

worker

when

you

’ll

be

going

and

when

you

’ll

be

back

get

a

letter

of

consent

from

your

child

’s

social

worker

for

passport

control

if

you

’re

going

abroad

Medical

treatment

for

your

foster

child

You

may

not

have

the

right

to

give

consent

to

medical

treatment

Check

your

child

placement

plan

to

find

out

if

you

have

the

authority

to

let

your

foster

child

have

medication

a

medical

examination

local

or

general

anaesthetic

surgery

Getting

support

You

should

get

support

from

your

fostering

service

your

local

council

and

social

workers

You

can

also

get

support

and

advice

from

Fosterline

Your

local

council

must

provide

your

foster

child

with

a

personal

adviser

from

age

or

to

age

They

will

help

your

foster

child

move

to

independent

living

or

support

them

to

stay

with

you

this

is

called

a

staying

put

arrangement

Extra

support

is

available

when

your

foster

child

reaches

age

and

Support

from

your

fostering

service

Your

foster

child

gets

a

placement

plan

This

tells

you

about

the

child

and

their

needs

The

fostering

service

should

invite

you

to

meetings

on

your

foster

child

’s

progress

and

placement

plan

Your

family

should

get

access

to

an

out

of

hours

advice

and

support

service

access

to

support

groups

practical

financial

and

emotional

support

training

and

a

personal

development

plan

which

is

reviewed

every

year

an

opportunity

to

take

a

break

from

fostering

if

you

need

it

Dealing

with

allegations

If

an

allegation

is

made

against

you

or

anyone

in

your

home

your

local

authority

must

investigate

it

support

you

through

it

update

you

on

progress

help

resolve

any

disagreements

They

may

remove

your

foster

child

from

your

home

or

ask

the

person

the

allegation

is

about

to

leave

They

will

also

look

at

the

safety

of

any

other

children

in

your

home

Support

from

social

workers

You

’ll

have

contact

with

social

workers

your

foster

child

’s

social

worker

they

make

sure

you

meet

the

child

’s

needs

a

supervising

social

worker

to

help

and

support

you

as

a

foster

parent

Your

supervising

social

worker

is

there

to

support

you

as

a

foster

parent

Contact

them

if

you

need

emotional

support

to

talk

about

any

concerns

or

worries

you

have

about

your

foster

child

help

to

develop

your

skills

as

a

foster

parent

Your

social

workers

must

make

sure

you

understand

their

policies

on

fostering

including

how

to

manage

your

foster

child

’s

behaviour

financial

support

for

foster

parents

complaints

They

must

review

your

approval

to

foster

at

least

once

a

year

to

make

sure

you

’re

still

suitable

Social

workers

may

decide

to

have

some

meetings

without

you

if

they

think

it

’s

best

for

the

foster

child

Social

worker

visits

Your

child

’s

social

worker

must

visit

you

and

your

foster

child

in

the

first

week

the

child

comes

to

live

with

you

once

every

weeks

in

the

first

year

every

to

months

after

the

child

has

lived

with

you

for

a

year

They

must

also

visit

you

once

a

year

without

telling

you

they

’re

coming

You

or

your

foster

child

can

ask

for

more

visits

from

the

social

worker

Ending

a

placement

You

must

give

days

notice

to

your

social

worker

if

you

no

longer

wish

to

be

the

child

’s

foster

parent

Support

from

Fosterline

Call

Fosterline

for

free

to

get

advice

on

fostering

They

can

provide

help

and

advice

about

fostering

including

information

about

finances

training

dealing

with

allegations


Overview

Surrogacy

is

legal

in

the

UK

but

if

you

make

a

surrogacy

agreement

it

can

not

be

enforced

by

the

law

The

legal

parents

at

birth

If

you

use

a

surrogate

they

will

be

the

child

’s

legal

parent

at

birth

If

the

surrogate

is

married

or

in

a

civil

partnership

their

spouse

or

civil

partner

will

be

the

child

’s

second

parent

at

birth

unless

they

did

not

give

their

permission

Legal

parenthood

can

be

transferred

by

parental

order

or

adoption

after

the

child

is

born

If

there

is

disagreement

about

who

the

child

’s

legal

parents

should

be

the

courts

will

make

a

decision

based

on

the

best

interests

of

the

child

Surrogacy

agreements

The

intended

parents

and

surrogate

can

record

how

they

want

the

arrangement

to

work

in

a

surrogacy

agreement

Surrogacy

agreements

are

not

enforceable

by

UK

law

even

if

you

have

a

signed

document

with

your

surrogate

and

have

paid

their

expenses

You

can

not

pay

a

surrogate

in

the

UK

except

for

their

reasonable

expenses

Donor

’s

rights

If

you

use

donated

sperm

or

eggs

with

your

surrogate

read

about

the

rights

of

your

donor

Read

more

about

surrogacy

and

the

legal

process

Become

the

child

’s

legal

parent

You

must

apply

for

a

parental

order

or

adoption

if

you

want

to

become

the

legal

parent

of

the

child

Parental

orders

You

can

apply

for

a

parental

order

with

a

partner

or

on

your

own

Apply

with

a

partner

One

of

you

must

be

genetically

related

to

the

child

in

other

words

be

the

egg

or

sperm

donor

You

must

be

one

of

the

following

married

civil

partners

living

as

partners

You

must

also

have

the

child

living

with

you

reside

permanently

in

either

the

UK

Channel

Islands

or

Isle

of

Man

You

must

apply

within

months

of

the

child

’s

birth

Apply

as

an

individual

You

must

be

genetically

related

to

the

child

in

other

words

be

the

egg

or

sperm

donor

You

must

also

have

the

child

living

with

you

reside

permanently

in

either

the

UK

Channel

Islands

or

Isle

of

Man

You

can

apply

for

a

child

of

any

age

if

you

apply

before

July

From

July

you

must

apply

within

months

of

the

child

’s

birth

How

to

apply

in

England

or

Wales

You

must

fill

in

a

application

form

for

a

parental

order

and

take

or

send

it

to

a

family

court

You

do

not

have

to

use

your

local

family

court

but

you

’ll

need

to

explain

why

if

you

do

not

You

’ll

need

to

provide

the

child

’s

full

birth

certificate

and

will

also

be

charged

a

court

fee

of

The

court

will

then

set

a

date

for

the

hearing

and

issue

you

with

a

acknowledgement

form

that

you

must

give

to

the

child

’s

legal

parent

in

other

words

your

surrogate

The

surrogate

and

anyone

else

who

’s

a

parent

of

the

child

must

agree

to

the

parental

order

by

filling

in

form

How

to

apply

in

Scotland

or

Northern

Ireland

The

process

is

different

if

you

live

in

Scotland

or

Northern

Ireland

In

Scotland

contact

the

Court

of

Session

or

Sheriff

Court

In

Northern

Ireland

contact

the

Courts

and

Tribunals

Service

Adoption

If

neither

you

or

your

partner

are

related

to

the

child

adoption

is

the

only

way

you

can

become

the

child

’s

legal

parent

Children

born

outside

the

UK

If

your

surrogate

gives

birth

abroad

you

can

only

apply

for

a

parental

order

if

you

and

your

partner

are

living

in

the

UK

If

the

child

is

not

a

UK

or

EU

national

they

will

need

a

visa

to

enter

the

UK

during

this

process

Using

a

surrogate

abroad

can

be

complicated

because

different

countries

have

different

rules

You

may

want

to

get

legal

advice

or

contact

The

Human

Fertilisation

and

Embryology

Authority

for

more

information

You

can

also

read

about

returning

to

the

UK

with

your

child

Pay

and

leave

You

and

your

partner

may

be

eligible

for

adoption

pay

and

leave

and

paternity

pay

and

leave

if

you

use

a

surrogate

If

you

’re

not

eligible

for

paid

leave

you

may

be

able

to

take

parental

leave

or

annual

leave

Surrogates

Every

pregnant

employee

has

the

right

to

weeks

maternity

leave

and

to

return

to

their

job

after

this

What

a

surrogate

does

after

the

child

is

born

does

not

affect

their

right

to

maternity

leave


Overview

You

can

get

permission

to

deal

with

someone

else

’s

tax

credits

The

type

of

permission

you

need

depends

on

what

you

want

to

do

You

can

contact

HM

Revenue

and

Customs

HMRC

about

someone

else

’s

claim

as

an

authorised

intermediary

take

responsibility

for

someone

else

’s

tax

credit

claim

when

they

can

not

manage

their

own

affairs

as

an

appointee

claim

tax

credits

for

both

your

child

and

their

baby

Authorisation

You

must

be

authorised

to

talk

to

HM

Revenue

and

Customs

HMRC

about

someone

else

’s

tax

credits

If

you

’re

not

every

time

you

call

that

person

must

first

confirm

their

identity

and

say

they

’re

happy

for

you

to

act

for

them

Get

authorised

Send

form

to

HMRC

This

must

be

signed

by

the

person

or

persons

if

it

’s

a

joint

claim

you

’re

representing

The

authorisation

lasts

months

unless

a

different

end

date

is

put

on

the

form

It

usually

takes

days

to

get

authorised

from

when

your

form

is

received

but

can

take

longer

if

you

send

a

letter

instead

of

form

Usually

you

will

not

get

a

letter

confirming

your

authorisation

More

than

one

person

can

be

authorised

but

each

one

must

send

a

form

Tax

credits

will

not

be

paid

into

your

account

unless

you

’re

the

appointee

If

you

act

for

a

lot

of

clients

Write

to

HMRC

to

register

as

an

intermediary

organisation

if

you

work

in

the

voluntary

sector

and

act

for

many

people

You

can

get

urgent

authorisation

online

if

you

’re

an

intermediary

organisation

and

you

have

a

completed

Use

form

to

get

authorisation

if

you

’re

a

paid

agent

You

can

then

use

the

Agent

Priority

Line

to

contact

HMRC

Cancel

an

authorisation

An

authorisation

can

be

cancelled

by

writing

to

HMRC

Appointees

You

can

apply

for

the

right

to

deal

with

the

tax

credits

of

someone

who

can

not

manage

their

own

affairs

for

example

because

they

’re

mentally

incapable

or

severely

disabled

This

is

called

becoming

an

appointee

You

’re

not

an

appointee

if

you

just

help

someone

complete

their

claim

form

Applying

to

become

a

tax

credit

appointee

You

must

be

over

and

have

a

bank

account

You

do

not

have

to

be

a

relative

If

you

have

a

tax

credit

claim

form

complete

the

appointee

section

explaining

why

the

person

can

not

complete

and

sign

their

form

Then

send

the

form

to

HM

Revenue

and

Customs

HMRC

They

may

contact

you

for

more

information

before

deciding

whether

to

make

you

an

appointee

or

not

If

you

do

not

have

a

claim

form

contact

HMRC

Your

responsibilities

You

must

sign

the

tax

credit

claim

form

renew

the

tax

credits

claim

report

any

changes

which

affect

how

much

money

the

person

gets

tell

HMRC

if

you

’re

no

longer

the

appointee

Any

tax

credits

the

person

gets

are

paid

directly

into

your

bank

account

If

you

make

a

false

or

misleading

statement

you

may

be

charged

a

penalty

The

claimant

is

responsible

for

paying

back

overpayments

Their

tax

credits

may

be

reduced

or

you

may

be

asked

to

make

a

direct

payment

on

their

behalf

Stop

being

an

appointee

Write

to

HMRC

within

month

of

when

you

want

to

stop

being

the

appointee

Claim

on

behalf

of

your

child

Your

child

is

under

If

your

child

has

a

baby

you

can

make

the

claim

for

both

of

them

if

they

live

with

you

The

money

will

be

paid

to

you

Your

child

is

over

Your

child

can

make

the

claim

themselves

if

they

’re

over

and

have

a

baby

You

can

make

the

claim

for

them

if

both

the

following

apply

your

child

and

their

baby

live

with

you

your

child

is

in

approved

education

or

training

You

must

stop

claiming

tax

credits

for

your

child

if

they

start

claiming

tax

credits

for

themselves

Phone

HM

Revenue

and

Customs

HMRC

to

stop

claiming

tax

credits