HMRC’S SUSPENSION OF CHILD BENEFIT – MPs say child benefit checks were ‘cavalier’
The UK tax office is facing severe criticism after an MP committee called its handling of Child Benefit checks “cavalier,” resulting in payments being wrongly stopped for thousands of families.
The problem arose after HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) ceased cross-checking claimants’ travel records with UK tax data, wrongly assuming people had permanently moved abroad.
Treasury Select Committee Chair, Dame Meg Hillier, said HMRC made a “costly error.” HMRC boss John-Paul Marks has apologised, confirming over 3,600 claimants have already been confirmed as eligible after their payments were halted.
Marks outlined changes to prevent future issues, including reinstating employment checks and giving claimants one month to prove eligibility before payments are paused.
