What do you understand by the term Guardian’s allowance? This is simple and if you wish to know what this is all about then this is your best bet. Continue reading the content of this post to find out what Guardian’s allowance means and how you can take part in it if possible.
Guardian’s Allowance
Guardian’s allowance as you should know is a tax-free benefit that is paid to a person looking after a child in the event that the parents have died. In most circumstances, Guardian’s allowance can be paid if only one of both parents has died. It can also be paid in the event that one parent has dis and the whereabouts of the other surviving parent is not yet known.
The rate of the guardian’s allowance is 18.55 pounds every week and you can get it on top of child benefit and it is also tax-free.
What You Will Get with Guardian’s Allowance
Just as mentioned already, the guardian allowance rate is 18.55 pounds per child on a weekly basis. It is also tax-free and it will be paid on top of your child benefit payments. Now that you already know what you will be getting with this program, you might want to know how the money will be paid.
The money normally will be paid into a bank account every four weeks. If however you are a single parent or you are getting certain other types of benefits such as income support, the money can be paid weekly. You can get the money to be paid into an account apart from a nationwide building society account in the name of someone else.
If you are claiming a tax credit, income-based jobseekers allowance, income support, or income-related employment and support allowance, then you should know that Guardian’s allowance does not count as income. It is not affected by the high-income child benefit charge. And in the event that you decide to not be paid child benefit, then your guardian’s allowance cannot and will not continue. Also, you should know that Guardian’s allowance does not count towards the benefit cap.
Eligibility Requirements for Guardian Allowance
Getting the Guardian’s allowance is one thing, qualifying for the benefit is another thing. And you first need to qualify for the program before you can benefit from it. and to benefit from the program, you must apply to certain requirements and they are;
- You must qualify for child benefits.
- You are taking care of or bringing up someone else’s child.
- The parents of the child are dead.
Also, any one of the parents must have been either;
- Living in the UK since the age of 16 or for at least 52 weeks in any 2-year period.
- Born in the UK or a European economic area country or in Switzerland.
That’s it; you may still be eligible for Guardian’s allowance if you adopt a child as long as you were getting it before the child was adopted.
In the event that there is one surviving parent, you could also get Guardian’s allowance if one of the following is true;
- By court order, the surviving parent is hospitalized.
- If the whereabouts of the surviving parent are unknown.
- The parents were divorced or their civil partnership had dissolved, the surviving parent does not have custody and also is not maintaining or taking care of the child and there is not a court order in place citing that they should.
- The parents have never been married and the mother has passed on and the father is unknown.
- The surviving parent will stay in prison for at least 2 years from the date of death of the other parent in question.
That’s it.
How to Claim Guardian Allowance
Claiming Guardian’s allowance is easy and anyone can do this. In order to avoid money, you should quickly claim Guardian’s allowance immediately after the child starts living with you. To do this, you will first fill in the claim form (BG1). After filling out the form, you should send it to the guardian’s allowance unit with the birth and death certificates of the child and parents respectively. You should do well to send originals.
Changes to Your Circumstances
In the event that your circumstances change, it means that your entitlement to your guardian’s allowance can be greatly affected and your payments could stop. You must immediately report any changes straight away. And you can simply do this online if in the event that;
- The said child goes to live with another person.
- You travel abroad temporarily for more than 8 weeks or permanently for over a year.
- The said child leaves approved training or full-time education.
- The details of your contact or bank change.
- If you locate the whereabouts of the surviving parent.
- If the surviving parent comes out of the hospital or prison,
- The surviving parent makes a payment towards the upkeep of the child.
That’s it.
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