About half a million people were left without their Child Benefit payments on Monday, June 3, due to a technical issue at Her Majesty Revenue and Customs, according to BBC.
Parents took to social media to express their frustration, with some indicating that they could not buy food or pay for their child's bus fare.
In BBC's report, Danielle, a mother from London, expressed her surprise at encountering an issue with her Child Benefit payment after 14 years of prompt receipt. She hoped for a swift resolution and sympathized with others relying on the money.
Meanwhile, single mum Esther suggested that all recipients should be provided with a clear payment timeframe, criticizing the situation's handling.
Specifically, the UK's tax authority reported a batch processing problem that prevented around 30% of scheduled payments from being processed.
HMRC has requested customers not to contact them directly, promising to provide updates via social media as soon as possible.
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HMRS Child Benefit Program
The Child Benefit program supports parents raising children under 16 or under 20 if they are in approved education or training. Payments, typically made every four weeks on Mondays or Tuesdays, are distributed to one parent per child, and there is no limit on the number of children claimed.
Since April, the benefit amounts to £25.60 ($33) per week for the first child and £16.95 ($22) for each additional child. Full benefits are available to individuals earning up to £60,000 ($76,600) annually, phasing out completely at £80,000 ($102,100).
HMRC has assured that the issue affecting Monday's payments will not impact those scheduled for Tuesday and that impacted individuals can still submit complaints online.
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