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Furious parents say they are unable to put food on the table after an HMRC glitch meant some child benefit payments did not arrive as scheduled on Monday.
HMRC has apologised after about 30 per cent of child benefit payments scheduled for June 3 did not arrive in claimants’ back accounts – equivalent to around 500,000 parents.
The tax office said they will have to wait until Wednesday for the money to arrive in their accounts.
Child benefit is usually paid every four weeks on a Monday or a Tuesday. The allowance is generally £25.60 for an eldest or only child and £16.95 per child for additional children.
‘Disgusted’ parents accused HMRC of ‘leaving families without anything’, while others said they were incurring bank charges because they had gone into an overdraft.
Crystal Kelly, who desperately needed the Monday payment to buy food and other essentials for her three-year-old son, told MailOnline: ‘This situation is a joke, I need that money.
‘I can’t borrow anything to help me and that money helps me every Monday.’
She said that HMRC had not handled the situation well, adding: ‘I’ve got to wait ill tomorrow to get it [the money] which isn’t right for a single parent like me.’
Ms Kelly said it makes a ‘big difference’ having to wait until Wednesday.
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After HMRC apologised and said they were ‘working urgently to resolve the issue’, parents reacted angrily on social media.
Natalie Pratt said she feared having to wait until Wednesday for the money, writing: ‘We’ve had baked beans on toast for dinner (no complaints it was quite nice) but what am I meant to do for the kids packed lunch tomorrow? Really infuriating and extremely stressful.’
Ashleigh Jade Kutryk said it was ‘totally unacceptable’, adding: ‘This was a fault on your side so you should be doing faster payments cause now vulnerable families have to struggle yet another day.
‘Don’t you think today has already been enough stress for us all. Love how all tomorrow’s payments are issued as normal but we have to play the struggle and wait game. It’s not on!’
A third mother, Chantelle Whitehead, wrote: ‘This is shocking, how can you leave families without anything?’
And another, Sinead-Cassidy Phelan, said: ‘Absolute joke! Was relying on that today to get what my son needs! Hardly anything in the cupboard for him, you’re expecting myself as well as everyone else who was relying on it today to wait until Wednesday!
‘Absolutely fuming!’
Nick Cough added: ‘People’s child benefit still not gone in, it’s disgusting.’
Jane Fairclough Greenwood wrote: ‘Not good enough HMRC. No one should have to apply – you know who you’ve not paid – so just send them a late payment credit & then pay whatever each loss an individual has incurred on top.
‘This could have caused people to go over their overdraft arrangements thus leaving them in dire straights with their bank. This is disgustingly behaviour yet again.
As of August 2023, 6.91 million families were in receipt of child benefit payments.
People may be eligible for child benefit if they are responsible for a child under 16 and live in the UK.
The issue with payments was caused by a processing error.
An HMRC spokesperson said: ‘We’re sorry that some customers’ child benefit payments have not arrived as scheduled and we are working urgently to resolve the issue.
‘The issues that caused payment problems today will not impact payments scheduled for tomorrow.’
HMRC also placed a statement on X, formerly Twitter, which said: ‘We’re sorry that some customers’ Child Benefit payments have not arrived as scheduled and we are working urgently to resolve the issue.
‘There’s no need for customers to call us and we will provide updates here as soon as they are available.’
Robert Johnson is a UK-based business writer specializing in finance and entrepreneurship. With an eye for market trends and a keen interest in the corporate world, he offers readers valuable insights into business developments.
