The Child Tax Credit Regulations 2002

[^key-ac515ed68156cf4cd41f49585e89ede2]: Reg. 9(6) substituted (28.11.2018) by The Child Tax Credit (Amendment) Regulations 2018 (S.I. 2018/1130), regs. 1, 3(d)

[^key-8d1412af6f5ecad8f30893eee3b99b3e]: Reg. 9(8) omitted (28.11.2018) by virtue of The Child Tax Credit (Amendment) Regulations 2018 (S.I. 2018/1130), regs. 1, 3(e)

[^key-0148e63a6aca25c27035a3b506e041f9]: Words in reg. 12(3)(f) substituted (28.11.2018) by The Child Tax Credit (Amendment) Regulations 2018 (S.I. 2018/1130), regs. 1, 4

[^key-07e286bc318c3e9968686f4b2d6c9320]: Words in reg. 14(2)(b) omitted (28.11.2018) by virtue of The Child Tax Credit (Amendment) Regulations 2018 (S.I. 2018/1130), regs. 1, 5(a)

[^key-385bffc49ee29ba93a8e268d7d2148d3]: Words in reg. 14(4)(b) omitted (28.11.2018) by virtue of The Child Tax Credit (Amendment) Regulations 2018 (S.I. 2018/1130), regs. 1, 5(b)

[^key-9bc2484907e81addf7625fbbc7b182f1]: Words in reg. 2(1) substituted (21.3.2019) by The Tax Credits, Child Benefit and Childcare Payments (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/364), regs. 1, 4(2)

[^key-0e74c1563b88e0340063d913e20cdf5f]: Words in reg. 14(2)(d) omitted (21.3.2019) by virtue of The Tax Credits, Child Benefit and Childcare Payments (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/364), regs. 1, 4(3)(a)

[^key-0a39771a8610be05d3ac43a23303815b]: Words in reg. 14(4)(d) omitted (21.3.2019) by virtue of The Tax Credits, Child Benefit and Childcare Payments (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/364), regs. 1, 4(3)(b)

[^key-57732542ca031a15f910f52080c4860f]: Words in reg. 14(5)(d) substituted (21.3.2019) by The Tax Credits, Child Benefit and Childcare Payments (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/364), regs. 1, 4(3)(c)

[^key-ca4d62c20ae86a064ee0ec895811bf97]: Reg. 5(5)(c) and word inserted (6.4.2020) by The Tax Credits, Child Benefit, Guardian’s Allowance and Childcare Payments (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/297), regs. 1, 4(2)(a)

[^key-9c32841c93dc426ae3b9f8feaea11e4b]: Reg. 5(8) inserted (6.4.2020) by The Tax Credits, Child Benefit, Guardian’s Allowance and Childcare Payments (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/297), regs. 1, 4(2)(b)

[^key-8787f2f8c67dfa255bd5e5fbcc3346e1]: Words in reg. 8(1)(b) substituted (6.4.2020) by The Tax Credits, Child Benefit, Guardian’s Allowance and Childcare Payments (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/297), regs. 1, 4(3)(a)

[^key-74696a643e5f0e65fd4add2d7317f981]: Word in reg. 8(2)(d) substituted for full stop (6.4.2020) by The Tax Credits, Child Benefit, Guardian’s Allowance and Childcare Payments (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/297), regs. 1, 4(3)(b)(i)

[^key-ac235b9c544a43c8cf7cce1c549c9091]: Reg. 8(2)(e) inserted (6.4.2020) by The Tax Credits, Child Benefit, Guardian’s Allowance and Childcare Payments (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/297), regs. 1, 4(3)(b)(ii)

[^key-9a76bec28f23dfda2e7f21bf958fecc1]: Reg. 8(6)(7) inserted (6.4.2020) by The Tax Credits, Child Benefit, Guardian’s Allowance and Childcare Payments (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/297), regs. 1, 4(3)(c)

[^key-33cd9e29e4ef6d989b1234821972c0c9]: Words in reg. 2(1) inserted (1.12.2020) by Sentencing Act 2020 (c. 17), s. 416(1), Sch. 24 para. 331 (with Sch. 27); S.I. 2020/1236, reg. 2

[^key-12c9c774e41400593632693bfc16ba3c]: Sum in reg. 7(4)(c) substituted (with effect in accordance with reg. 1(4) of the amending S.I.) by The Tax Credits, Child Benefit and Guardian’s Allowance Up-rating Regulations 2021 (S.I. 2021/156), regs. 1(2), 3(a)

[^key-5e04b6c68e8a120f7625c2e0438408f3]: Sum in reg. 7(4)(f) substituted (with effect in accordance with reg. 1(4) of the amending S.I.) by The Tax Credits, Child Benefit and Guardian’s Allowance Up-rating Regulations 2021 (S.I. 2021/156), regs. 1(2), 3(a)

[^key-137527020a6bf0a940bbcb0b49869b38]: Sum in reg. 7(5)(a) substituted (with effect in accordance with reg. 1(4) of the amending S.I.) by The Tax Credits, Child Benefit and Guardian’s Allowance Up-rating Regulations 2021 (S.I. 2021/156), regs. 1(2), 3(b)(i)

[^key-3fc35958a003327161ae78ebc35551f9]: Sum in reg. 7(5)(b) substituted (with effect in accordance with reg. 1(4) of the amending S.I.) by The Tax Credits, Child Benefit and Guardian’s Allowance Up-rating Regulations 2021 (S.I. 2021/156), regs. 1(2), 3(b)(ii)

[^M_C_c5cb5b88-4df8-42a5-d8b6-331ea8c27eb4]: Reg. 3(1) modified (6.4.2003) by The Tax Credits (Polygamous Marriages) Regulations 2003 (S.I. 2003/742), regs. 1(1), 24 (with reg. 1(2))

[^M_C_0f6538a6-aadc-446b-9581-d1625f400b0b]: Reg. 7(2)(b)(ii) modified (6.4.2003) by The Tax Credits (Polygamous Marriages) Regulations 2003 (S.I. 2003/742), regs. 1(1), 25(b) (with reg. 1(2)); (as amended (6.4.2017) by The Child Tax Credit (Amendment) Regulations 2017 (S.I. 2017/387), regs. 1, 9)

Individual element: exceptions to the restriction on numbers

Exceptions for the purposes of regulation 7(2A)(b)

9

• (1) For the purposes of regulation 7(2A)(b), an exception applies in relation to A if—

• (a) A is (in accordance with paragraphs (5) and (6)) the third or subsequent child or qualifying young person for whom the claimant, or either or both of the joint claimants, is or are responsible and either—

• (i) any of regulations 10 to 14 applies in relation to A; or

• (ii) all, or all but one, of the other children or qualifying young persons (“AA”) for whom the claimant, or either or both of the joint claimants, is or are responsible are adopted within the meaning given by regulation 11 or cared for under a non-parental caring arrangement within the meaning given by regulation 12 (reading references to “A” in those regulations as if they were references to “AA”); or

• (b) A is (in accordance with paragraphs (5) and (6)) the first or second child or qualifying young person for whom the claimant, or either or both of the joint claimants, is or are responsible.

• (2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

• (3) Where an exception applies in relation to A by virtue of paragraph (1), an exception applies also in relation to any other child or qualifying young person who was born on or after 6th April 2017 and for whom the claimant, or either or both of the joint claimants, is or are responsible, if—

• (a) regulation 7(2A) would (apart from this paragraph) prevent the inclusion of an individual element of child tax credit in respect of that other child or qualifying young person, but would not do so if A were disregarded; and

• (b) the claimant, or either or both of the joint claimants, was or were already responsible for that other child or qualifying young person before the date on which the claimant, or either or both of the joint claimants, became responsible for A.

• (4) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

• (5) For the purposes of this regulation, whether A is the first, second, third or subsequent child or qualifying young person is determined by treating children and qualifying persons as forming a single class and, subject to paragraph (6), the order of the members within that class is determined by the following date in relation to each member, taking the earliest date first:—

• (a) where the claimant, or at least one of the joint claimants, is the member’s parent or step-parent (in either case, other than by adoption), the member’s date of birth; or

• (b) in any other case, the date on which the claimant, or either or both of the joint claimants, became responsible for the member.

• (6) In a case where the date determined under paragraph (5) is the same in respect of two or more members, their order (as between themselves only) is to be such as the Board determines to be appropriate to ensure that the individual element of child tax credit is included in respect of the greatest number of members.

• (7) Where joint claimants became responsible for a child or qualifying young person on different dates, any reference in this regulation to the date on which either or both of the joint claimants became responsible for that child or qualifying young person is a reference to the earliest of those dates.

• (8) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Multiple births

10

This regulation applies in relation to A if—

• (a) the claimant, or at least one of the joint claimants, is a parent (other than an adoptive parent) of A;

• (b) A was one of two or more children born as a result of the same pregnancy;

• (c) the claimant, or either or both of the joint claimants, is or are responsible for at least two of the children or qualifying young persons born as a result of that pregnancy; and

• (d) A is not the first in the order of those children or qualifying young persons as determined in accordance with regulation 9.

Adoption

11

• (1) This regulation applies in relation to A if A has been—

• (a) placed for adoption with the claimant or either or both of the joint claimants; or

• (b) adopted by the claimant, or either or both of the joint claimants, in accordance with—

• (i) the Adoption and Children Act 2002 (“the 2002 Act”);

• (ii) the Adoption and Children (Scotland) Act 2007 (“the 2007 Act”); or

• (iii) the Adoption (Northern Ireland) Order 1987 (“the 1987 Order”).

• (2) But this regulation does not apply in relation to A if—

• (a) the claimant or at least one of the joint claimants—

• (i) was a step-parent of A immediately prior to the adoption; or

• (ii) has been a parent of A (other than by adoption) at any time;

• (b) the adoption order was made as a Convention adoption order within the meaning of—

• (i) section 144 of the 2002 Act;

• (ii) section 119(1) of the 2007 Act; or

• (iii) article 2(2) of the 1987 Order; or

• (c) prior to the adoption, A was adopted by the claimant, or either or both of the joint claimants, under the law of any country or territory outside the British Islands.

Non-parental caring arrangements

12

• (1) This regulation applies in relation to A if the claimant or at least one of the joint claimants—

• (a) is a friend or family carer in relation to A; or

• (b) is responsible for a child or qualifying young person who is a parent of A.

• (2) But this regulation does not apply in relation to A if the claimant, or at least one of the joint claimants, is—

• (a) a parent of A; or

• (b) a step-parent of A.

• (3) In this regulation, “friend or family carer” means a person who is responsible for A and—

• (a) is named, in—

• (i) a child arrangements order under section 8 of the Children Act 1989, or

• (ii) a residence order under article 8 of the Children (Northern Ireland) Order 1995,

as a person with whom A is to live;

• (b) is a guardian of A appointed under—

• (i) section 5 of the Children Act 1989;

• (ii) section 7 of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995; or

• (iii) article 159 or 160 of the Children (Northern Ireland) Order 1995;

• (c) is a special guardian of A appointed under section 14A of the Children Act 1989;

• (d) is entitled to a guardian’s allowance under section 77 of the Contributions and Benefits Act or section 77 of the Contributions and Benefits (Northern Ireland) Act 1992 in respect of A;

• (e) is a person in whose favour a kinship care order, as defined in section 72(1) of the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014, subsists in relation to A;

• (f) is a person in whom one or more of the parental responsibilities or parental rights described in section 1 or 2 of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 are vested by a permanence order made in respect of A under section 80 of the Adoption and Children (Scotland) Act 2007;

• (g) fell within any of paragraphs (a) to (f) immediately prior to A’s 16th birthday and has since continued to be responsible for A; or

• (h) has undertaken the care of A in circumstances in which it is likely that A would otherwise be looked after by a local authority.

Non-consensual conception

13

• (1) This regulation applies in relation to A if—

• (a) the claimant is A’s parent; and

• (b) the Board determines that—

• (i) A is likely to have been conceived as a result of sexual intercourse to which the claimant did not agree by choice, or did not have the freedom and capacity to agree by choice; and

• (ii) the claimant is not living at the same address as the other party to that intercourse (“B”).

Control or coercion2For the purposes of paragraph (1)(b)(i), the circumstances in which the claimant is to be treated as not having the freedom or capacity to agree by choice are to include (but are not limited to) circumstances in which, at or around the time A was conceived—aB was—ipersonally connected to the claimant; andiirepeatedly and continuously engaging in behaviour towards the claimant that was controlling or coercive; andbthat behaviour had a serious effect on the claimant.3For the purposes of paragraph (2)(a)(i), B is personally connected to the claimant if—aB is in an intimate personal relationship with the claimant; orbB and the claimant live together and—iare members of the same family; oriihave previously been in an intimate personal relationship with each other.4For the purposes of paragraph (2)(b), behaviour has a serious effect on the claimant if—ait causes the claimant to fear, on at least two occasions, that violence will be used against the claimant; orbit causes the claimant serious alarm or distress which has a substantial adverse effect on the complainant’s day-to-day activities.5For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b)(i), B and the claimant are members of the same family if—athey are, or have been, married to each other;bthey are, or have been, civil partners of each other;cthey are relatives (within the meaning of section 63(1) of the Family Law Act 1996);dthey have agreed to marry each other (whether or not the agreement has been terminated);ethey have entered into a civil partnership agreement (within the meaning of section 73 or 197 of the Civil Partnership Act 2004), whether or not the agreement has been terminated;fthey are both parents of the same child;gthey have, or have had, parental responsibility (within the meaning of section 3 of the Children Act 1989 or article 6 of the Children (Northern Ireland) Order 1995) for the same child; orhthey have, or have had, in respect of the same child, one or more of the parental responsibilities or parental rights described in section 1 or 2 of the Children (Scotland) Act 2007.

Determinations6The Board may make a determination under paragraph (1)(b)(i) if, and only if—athe claimant provides evidence from an approved person which demonstrates that—ithe claimant has had contact with that person or another approved person; andiithe claimant’s circumstances are consistent with those of a person to whom paragraph (1)(a) and (b)(i) apply; orbthere has been—ia conviction for—aaan offence of rape under section 1 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003, section 1 of the Sexual Offences (Scotland) Act 2009 or article 5 of the Sexual Offences (Northern Ireland) Order 2008,bban offence of controlling or coercive behaviour in an intimate or family relationship under section 76 of the Serious Crime Act 2015, orccany offence under the law of any jurisdiction outside the United Kingdom that the Board considers to be analogous to an offence mentioned in paragraph (aa) or (bb), oriian award under the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme in respect of a relevant criminal injury sustained by the claimant,and it appears to the Board to be likely (disregarding the matters mentioned in paragraph (7)) that the offence was committed, or the relevant criminal injury was caused, by B and either resulted in the conception of A or diminished the claimant’s freedom or capacity to agree by choice to the sexual intercourse which resulted in that conception.7In considering, for the purposes of paragraph (6)(b), the likelihood that the offence or injury resulted in the conception of A the matters to be disregarded are any possibilities that the conception of A may have resulted from another such offence or injury, regardless of whether any conviction or award has occurred in respect of that other offence or injury.8In paragraph (6)(a), “approved person” means a person of a description specified on a list approved by the Board for the purposes of this regulation and acting in the capacity referred to in the description.9In paragraph (6)(b)(ii), “relevant criminal injury” means—aa sexual offence (including a pregnancy sustained as a direct result of being the victim of a sexual offence),bphysical abuse of an adult, including domestic abuse, orcmental injury,as described in the tariff of injuries in the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme.10In paragraphs (6)(b)(ii) and (9), “Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme” means the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme or the Northern Ireland Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme as established from time to time under the Criminal Injuries Compensation Act 1995 or the Criminal Injuries Compensation (Northern Ireland) Order 2002 respectively.11The Board may treat the condition in paragraph (6)(a) as met if the Board are satisfied that the claimant has provided the evidence to the Secretary of State for corresponding purposes in relation to universal credit, income support or old style JSA.12The Board may make a determination under paragraph (1)(b)(ii) if the claimant confirms that the criterion in paragraph (1)(b)(ii) is met.

Application to single and joint claims13In this regulation, “claimant”, in relation to a single claim, means the person who makes the claim.14In relation to a joint claim—aparagraph (1)(b)(i) applies if it applies to either of the joint claimants; andbreferences in the other provisions of this regulation to “the claimant” mean the joint claimant to whom paragraph (1)(b)(i) applies (and, in paragraphs (6) and (11) include a joint claimant who purports to meet that criterion).15In paragraph (14), “joint claimant” means a member of the couple making the claim.

Continuation of certain exceptions

14

• (1) This regulation applies in relation to A if—

• (a) no other exception applies in relation to A under these Regulations;

• (b) the claimant, or at least one of the joint claimants, is A’s step-parent (and, in this Regulation, “C” means the claimant or a joint claimant who is A’s step-parent); and

• (c) paragraph (2), (4) or (5) applies.

• (2) This paragraph applies if—

• (a) C has previously been entitled to child tax credit jointly with a parent of A;

• (b) immediately before that joint entitlement ceased, an exception applied under regulation 9(1) ... in relation to A;

• (c) since that joint entitlement ceased, C has continuously been entitled to child tax credit (whether or not jointly with another person); and

• (d) where the criterion in sub-paragraph (b) is met by virtue of ... regulation 10, the condition in paragraph (3) is met.

• (3) The condition in this paragraph is that—

• (a) the claimant, or either or both of the joint claimants, is or are responsible for one or more other children or qualifying young persons born as a result of the same pregnancy as A; and

• (b) A is not the first in the order of those children as determined in accordance with regulation 9.

Where a corresponding exception previously applied for the purposes of another benefit4This paragraph applies if—awithin the 6 months immediately preceding the day on which a relevant CTC entitlement began—iC was entitled to an award of universal credit as a member of a couple jointly with a parent of A; oriiC and a parent of A were a couple and either of them was entitled to an award of income support or old style JSA;bimmediately before the entitlement mentioned in sub-paragraph (a)(i) or (ii) ceased, the amount of that entitlement included an amount in respect of A by virtue of any exception corresponding, for the purposes of that entitlement, to an exception under regulation 9(1) ... in relation to A;cC has continuously been entitled to child tax credit (whether or not jointly with another person) since the relevant CTC entitlement mentioned in sub-paragraph (a); anddwhere the criterion in sub-paragraph (b) is met by virtue of ... regulation 10, the condition in paragraph (3) is met.5This paragraph applies if—awithin the 6 months immediately preceding the day on which a relevant CTC entitlement began—iC was entitled to an award of universal credit (whether or not as a member of a couple jointly with another person); oriiC was entitled to an award of income support or old style JSA (whether or not C was in a couple with another person);bimmediately before the entitlement mentioned in sub-paragraph (a)(i) or (ii) ceased, the amount of that entitlement included an amount in respect of A by virtue of any exception corresponding, for the purposes of that entitlement, to the exception that, under regulation 9(1), applies where this regulation applies;cC has continuously been entitled to child tax credit (whether or not jointly with another person) since the relevant CTC entitlement mentioned in sub-paragraph (a); anddwhere the criterion in sub-paragraph (b) is met by virtue of regulation 10, the condition in paragraph (3) is met.

Interpretation6In this regulation—“couple” has the same meaning as in Part 1 of the Welfare Reform Act 2012; and“relevant CTC entitlement” means an entitlement of C (whether or not jointly with another person) to child tax credit.7For the purposes of this regulation, an entitlement of C to child tax credit is to be regarded as continuous despite any interruption of less than 6 months in such an entitlement.