CBTM06100 | Responsibility for a child or qualifying young person: Meaning of ‘week’

SSC&B Act 1992 section 147, SSC&B (NI) Act 1992 section 143

The Child Benefit week is a period of seven days beginning on a Monday and runs from midnight between Sunday and Monday.

Any conditions satisfied and any facts existing in a week shall be construed as references to the condition being satisfied or the facts existing at the beginning of that week.

Note: Commissioners Decisions R(F)2/81 and CF1057/2003 support a reasonable approach when determining entitlement in a week. They support the view that entitlement can exist for a week even if the child is not physically with the customer between midnight Sunday to Monday. For example they could live with the customer from Tuesday to Saturday each week and be entitled in each of those weeks. This would also support claims where there is shared care, as the child cannot physically live with both customers between midnight Sunday and Monday each week.

The Child Benefit and Guardian’s Allowance (Admin) Regs 2003 regulation 13

Unless entitlement begins on a Monday, payment of child benefit commences the Monday following the earliest date of entitlement. If entitlement begins on a Monday, payment commences on that Monday.