Benefits for children in EEA countries

UK Child Benefit and Child Tax Credit

If you are in the UK or another EEA country and

• you are employed or self-employed in a job in which you must pay contributions under the UK scheme

or

• you are getting one of one of the following UK benefits:
  • Contribution-based Jobseeker's Allowance
  • Guardian's Allowance
  • Incapacity Benefit
  • contribution-based Employment and Support Allowance
  • State Pension
  • Widows Benefit/Bereavement benefits
  • Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit

you can usually get UK Child Benefit or Child Tax Credit for your children, even if they are living in another EEA member state.

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Children's allowance from another EEA country

If you are in another EEA country and

you are employed or self-employed; and

you are insured under that country's insurance scheme; or

you are getting one of the following foreign benefits:

• unemployment benefit
• benefit for orphans
• benefit for sickness
• old age pension
• benefit for an accident that happened when you were at work
• benefit because you have an industrial disease on the official list,

you can usually get the children's allowance paid by that country. You can get it even if your child stays, or your children stay, in the UK. Any UK insurance you have paid may help the other country decide if they can pay you their children's allowance.

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Getting benefit from two different countries

It may be that you and your husband or wife could both get benefit from two different EEA countries for the same child If so, both countries will not have to pay all the benefit. The country where one of you works and pays into the social security scheme will usually pay.

If you or your husband or wife are working in different countries and you are both paying into the social security scheme in each country, the country the child lives in will usually pay benefit. The other country may pay something too.

They may do this if you would get more for the child in their country. They may pay the extra you would have got there.

To find out more about Child Benefit,

• go to the HM Revenue & Customs website, or
• phone the Child Benefit Helpline on 0845 302 1444, or
• write to:
  
  Child Benefit Office (GB)
  Washington
  Newcastle-upon-Tyne NE88 1AA
  UK

If you are phoning from outside the UK and can’t get through on the Helpline number, telephone 44 191 225 1000

To find out more about Child Tax Credit, visit www.hmrc.gov.uk/taxcredits

• go to HM Revenue & Customs website, or
• phone the Tax Credit Helpline on 0845 300 3900, or
• write to:
  
  Tax Credit Office
  Preston PR1 0SB
  UK

If you are phoning from outside the UK and can’t get through on the Helpline number telephone 44 28 9053 8192.