Hi. Does anyone know if you lose your British Child Benefit when your family moves out to Canada with my work permit? Thanks.

I would have thought so. Surely you can't claim benefits in a country you're not living in?

Surely we are still UK citizens working in a different country? We are not canadian and our children are british.

More than anything I think it would be morally wrong - after all would you still be paying your taxes in the UK after you leave?

So what - you're no longer paying taxes in the UK, so why should the government pay benefits?

quick google turned up this which should answer your question http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/childbenefit/...ing-abroad.htm

I assume you'll feel entitled to Canadian benefits (health care etc) while living here too?

Thank you for all your replies. Hadn't looked at it from that angle. Fair comments. When you have achieved permanent residency status, do you then receive some sort of child allowance from the Canadian government? thanks

I didn't "assume" anything RICH. I know that you are not entitled to certain things for a length of time in Canada. If only things were as easy for us moving to Canada as it is for others moving to the UK from anywhere in the world.

Yes. See the Wiki article called Family and Child Benefits-Canada.
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How is it easier for an American or Argentinian to move to the UK than it is for you to move to Canada?

I'm just guessing but I think the comment was maybe more about it being easier for non UK people to settle in the UK than Brits to settle in Canada.

Like in the UK Englsh language clases are paid for if needed, translation services are provided at a cost to the British taxpayer, low prescription charges, full and realistic state benefits including rent allowances etc etc

I am in no way saying this is bad, but all these things are available to people in the UK who are no longer subject to immigration control. They are not available to equivalent settlers in Canada.

These things are a great help to people in the UK and are something to fall back on if necessary. You're pretty much on your own in Canada.

Quite right - I made the assumption

But it's not. EU nationals can move fairly easily to the UK as NAFTA nationals can move fairly easily to Canada (at least temporarily) but for people from outside the immediate trade federation the problems are similar and start with the need to find a job. Someone moving from, say, South America, to the UK would not be eligible for "full and realistic state benefits including rent allowances" unless arriving as a refugee, in which case the same is equally true for Canada. Moreover the immigrant to the UK might well not speak English; language problems are not something Brits in most of Canada face.

I would think someone grappling with the problems of immigrating to Canada would have an appreciation for the difficulties surmounted by immigrants to the UK rather than thinking that they had it easy.

But I said "no longer subject to immigration control"....in other words when free to stay with the same rights as citizens.

Go to any local or national government office in the UK unable to speak English and the officials will immediately spend £80+ an hour on a translator. Does that happen in Canada if one cannot speak French or English?

There is no comparable Rent allowance in Canada like Housing Benefit in the UK. Other benefit rates are higher in the UK. You can get Disability Benefits in the UK without having paid in. You can't in Canada.

If you're ill in Canada, Medicare compares with the NHS but you can still get stuck with crippling prescription costs.

I came to Canada sponsored by my wife. Even with PR there is an exclusion period relating to welfare benefits. That's fair. But if the situation was reversed and we moved to the UK she would get ILR and there would be no exclusion for benefits at all. UK ILR gives identical rights to those held by UK citizens. In this respect, Canadian PR does NOT give identical rights to those held by Canadian citizens.

So it's a comfort to know that once you have met conditions and settled, circumstances can change and new needs will be met in the UK.

That's what I meant when I said you're more left to fend for yourself in Canada.

What about if you and your children are living for a short period (under 6 months) outside of the UK but your partner is still working in the UK as normal, paying taxes as normal, and supporting his family as normal. Should you still be entitled to family credit? I called and asked and the answer was no, not after 8 weeks. Just interested to see how many think in this situation it should be paid and how many think it shouldnt