Families criticise the cost of fixing errors over child benefit

A mother has had her child benefit stopped after booking a holiday to Italy because HMRC believed she had emigrated - even though she and her family did not board the flight.

- Lisa O'Carroll

Sally, her three children and her partner were going on holiday to Italy last July but were refused boarding after one of the children had an epileptic seizure at the departure gate.

About 16 months later, Sally received a letter from tax authorities at HMRC telling her payments for all three children were being stopped as records showed she had taken a one-way flight to Italy in 2024.

"We never even left the country," she said, explaining how much paperwork she has had to put together to prove to the tax authorities that they had made a mistake.

"I called the child benefit line and explained the situation but was told I needed to complete the form and submit evidence which included three months of bank statements from all my accounts, letters from the NHS and school to prove we returned."