Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make it his policy to allow payments of child tax credits to bereaved partners to be backdated to the date of the death of their partner.
HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) recognises that this will be a difficult time for claimants. HMRC is therefore part of the “tell us once” service that allows people to report a death and inform a number of government services at one time rather than individually. When HMRC is informed of the death of a claimant it makes contact with any surviving partner to help them make a new claim, if they are entitled to it.
Child Tax Credit claimants can have their claim backdated for up to 31 days. This includes those who are making a claim following a bereavement. There are no plans to change this.