We are here on a WP - can we claim Child Benefit?

In a word "EVENTUALLY"

As I understand it, you have to have been legally resident in Canada first for 18 months

It is child tax benefit and based on the age of the children and the previous years tax return. Until you have filed a tax return you cannot claim anything.

From what I gather is that you have to be PR for 18 months before you can claim this - and it is a pittance compared to what you can claim in the UK.

Pittance?

Uk rates - £18.10 a week for the eldest child and £12.10 a week for each additional child.

Canada rates vary by province. Ours is quite a bit lower here in NB than it was in Quebec, but it's still about $260 a month per child.
That's about £30 per week each child.

Don't forget that there is family tax credit here to.

From the wiki:

Child and family benefits

Universal Child Care Benefit

* The Universal Child Care Benefit is $100 per month for each child under 6, and is intended to subsidize child care costs for working parents.

* This benefit is not avaliable for temporary work permit holders until the 19th month of living in Canada.


[edit] Canadian Child Tax Benefit

* The Canadian Child Tax Benefit is a means-tested benefit that is available to parents of children under 18.

* The benefit starts at several hundred dollars per month per child for very low earning families. It reduces as family income grows, but any family with less than $100,000 a year income will get something.

* Note that, because the amount of the benefit to which you are entitled is based on your family's income in the previous year, newly arrived British expats typically do not receive much in the way of CCTB. When your British income from the previous year is converted into Canadian dollars, it makes you look as if you belong to a high income bracket. In the year following your arrival in Canada, when you will have been earning a Canadian income, your earnings are more likely to fall within Canadian norms.

* Subject to the above-mentioned limitation, permanent residents are eligible for the Child Tax Benefit immediately, while work permit holders have to wait 18 months.

Many thanks for this.

Worked out the Child Tax Benefit for me as about $50 per month less tax so a bit different to that.

You don't pay additional tax on CCTB

I am married to a Canadian citizen over here in UK and our children are dual citizens, can my wife claim canadian child benefit whilst we live over here, sounds like a daft question but Polish workers living in UK can claim for their children that are still living in Poland, just a thought

Only if you send your children to Poland.

Will they pay for a plane ticket, if not guess you can stick em on the bus..