More Than 18 Children / Polygamous Marriages / Polyandrous Marriages (AG)

• Select ‘Incomplete Applications’ from the drop down menu for Work List Types field

• Select the office or unit you want from the drop down list for the Management Unit field, if the one you want is not already displayed in this field. The screen will be redisplayed with the entries currently on the Work List

• Click on the work item you want to work to highlight it

• Information is missing, contact the claimant and obtain the missing information

Note: If you cannot telephone the claimant, send a written enquiry and await a reply

• The marriage is polygamous / polyandrous, contact the claimant, clarify who is the main carer for each child and obtain any missing details

Note: All parts of the claim must be confirmed in respect of each extra claimant

For guidance about contacting the claimant, see Contacting The Claimant

• Yes, go to step 4

• No, refer the case for NINO allocation. Follow the guidance in Provision And Verification Of A NINO. Once the NINO is obtained, go to step 4

In a polygamous marriage / polyandrous marriage

• Once you have entered the details of claimant 2 and they have been matched by the computer

• Remove the details of claimant 2

• Enter the details for the next husband / wife into the claimant 2 fields, obtain a match and take a screen print to file with the case papers

Continue to do this until all the husbands / wives have been entered and matched

Once all additional husbands and wives have been confirmed

• Re-enter the details of the original claimant 2

And

• Click the [OK] button

• They are, go to step 6

• Any of the claimants are not matched, attempt to make a match

Follow the guidance in Applicant Not Matched. Once all the NINOs have been matched, go to step 6

• The child details but only up to the 17th child if there 18 or more

Or

• The child details excluding the last child (for example if there are 8 children, only capture 7). Ensure that you enter the eldest children first

This is so that the computer can recognise there is a change of circumstances. The 18th child will be added later

Continue to capture

• All the details from the claim form until you reach the Summary Information screen

• Check that all husbands / wives have signed the claim and if any signatures are not present

• Tick the [NO] checkbox

This will ensure that the reminder cycle is applied whilst you obtain the required signature(s)

Note: In the case of a polygamous marriage / polyandrous marriage the signatures are required for all claimants

• On the Summary Information screen

• Click the [Store] button

As the claim is pre award you will be presented with the free format screen. On the free format screen

• Enter the following details

‘Complex case – set manual correspondence signal’

And

‘Change of circs - 18th / last child details to be entered’

• Click the [OK] button

• Navigate to the Summary Information screen and in the Application Notes field enter the following details for the extra child(ren) / wife(wives) / husband(s) that have not already been captured

Do not enter details of the last / 18th child who will be added later

• The NINO for each wife / husband (if polygamous marriage / polyandrous marriage)

• The date of birth for each child / wife / husband

• The full name for each child / wife / husband

• Any appropriate notes (for example, Connexions date, if the child is disabled, responsibility start date, work details, other benefits or income)

• If there is not enough room you must enter the details in Function MAINTAIN HOUSEHOLD NOTES at a later time

Notes:

You must follow the guidance in How To Correctly Complete Application And Household Notes when you record the note

And also

Follow the guidance in Maintain Household Notes

• Yes, repair these before you click the [OK] button

• No

• Click the [OK] button

And then

• Click the [Proceed] button

• Are details missing, go to step 11

• Is a verification failure, go to step 12

Otherwise

• Go to step 14

Has

• Obtain the missing details, amend the incomplete entries and go to step 14

For guidance on how to amend the incomplete entries see Incomplete Applications Work List

If you cannot obtain the missing details

• Send a written enquiry and set the manual reminder cycle for 28 days. For further information about setting the reminder cycle see Manual Reminder Cycle. If the details are

• Obtained within 28 days, go to step 14

• Not obtained within 28 days, consider whether to reject the claim

Note: If you decide to reject the claim because the missing information cannot be obtained do not reject claims where there is a request for a birth certificate. For guidance see Rejecting A Claim

Has not, go to step 14

• Resolve the verification

For more information see Verification Failures Work List

If

• The failure(s) has been resolved, go to step 14

• The failure has not been resolved and there is no eligibility to tax credits, reject the claim and keep the claim on the Maintenance Team

• Follow the guidance in Rejection Due To A Verification Failure

• There are verification failures regarding the children which cannot be resolved and the details are held on the computer, go to step 13

• On the computer, Use Function AMEND APPLICATION,

• Remove the details from the computer

For more guidance see Changes

• Use Function MAINTAIN HOUSEHOLD NOTES to add a note of the child’s name excluded due to not being verified

Notes:

You must follow the guidance in How To Correctly Complete Application And Household Notes when you record the note

And also

Follow the guidance in Maintain Household Notes

• Go to step 14

Note: If you think that the information received appears suspicious, follow the guidance in Acting On Potential Compliance Information

• Select ‘Unprocessed Change Of Circumstances’ Work List from the drop down menu for Work List Types field

• Select the office or unit you want from the drop down list for the Management Unit field, if the one you want is not already displayed in this field. The screen will be redisplayed with the entries currently on the Work List

• Click on the work item you want to work to highlight it

• Click the [OK] button and close the Free Format box

• Tick the Manual Correspondence signal

• Click the [Applied] button

Then

• Click the [OK] button

• You will be taken to the Amend Finish screen

• Received date (use the date the claim was received)

• The source (for example, paper, telephone)

• If the claim is signed (all signatures if there is a polygamous marriage / polyandrous marriage)

• The reason for the change of circumstance

• Click the [OK] button

• If the message ‘S18 Refinalisation Rules – Potential inappropriate refinalisation for CCYY–CCYY. If you have the authority to refinalise under S19, S20 or S21 of the Tax Credit Act 2002 or due to an appeal decision. Press OK to process the change or Cancel’ displays

• The changes you are making will re-finalise the claim, follow the guidance in Establish If A Change Can Be Made before making any changes

Then, if you can make the change

• Click on the [OK] button on the message
   
• Go to step 18

• If the message ‘S18 Refinalisation Rules – Actual Income for CCYY-CCYY is required. This change will not be accepted’ displays

• You will not be able to make the change because the PY actual income is required, follow the guidance in Establish If A Change Can Be Made before making any changes

Then, if you can make the change

• Click on the [OK] button on the message
   
• Go to step 18

• If the message ‘S18 Refinalisation Rules – You do not have the authority to refinalise CCYY-CCYY. This change will not be accepted. Please refer to the appropriate team’ displays

• The changes you are making will refinalise the claim
   
• Click on the [Cancel] button. You will be taken to the Amend Application Details screen
   
• Click on the [Cancel] button
   
• When the message ‘All changes to the application will be lost for this session, do you wish to proceed?’ displays, click on the [Yes] button
   
• Pass the case to a Level 2 User or your manager. For more information on Level 1 and Level 2 users, see Level 1 and Level 2 User Roles
   
• Take no further action

• If none of the above messages display, go to step 18

• Click the [Add] button

• Under ‘suspensions available to be set’

• Click the drop down menu

• Select the reason code, ‘manual payment request’. This will then apply the required suspension

• Set an action date of 180 days and repeat this action every 180 days

• If the suspension cannot be set, contact the Risk Intelligence and Analysis Team (RIAT), go to step 19

• If the suspension has been set, go to step 22

• The claimant’s name and NINO

And ask the RIAT officer

• Whether the claim appears on their Work List

• That the claim is complex

• That a system work around has been used (for example, the claimant is showing as self employed instead of employed)

• What information is missing from the system (for example, the number of children or the extra spouse)

• If there are more than 18 children, go to step 22

• The marriage is polygamous / polyandrous, go to step 24

Note: As the child(ren) will not be on the NTC system some of the guidance in Child Not Matched will not be appropriate

• If the child is verified, go to step 24

• If the child is not verified, go to step 23

‘TCMZ (name of child) excluded due to not being verified'

Notes:

You must follow the guidance in How To Correctly Complete Application And Household Notes when you record the note

And also

Follow the guidance in Maintain Household Notes

If

• The claim is no longer a complex case, follow the guidance in Complex To Non Complex Change Of Circumstances

• You think that the child details are suspicious, for example, a child declared on the claim has a date of birth with a deceased signal, follow the guidance in Acting On Potential Compliance Information

• If the claim is still a complex case, go to step 24

All details of income and earnings for all claimants must be included to determine the relevant elements of WTC and CTC and to produce the total award and payment amount between the start and end dates of the award

For guidance see Payment And Accounting For Complex Cases

Note: Once the award has been determined, check if there are any future changes of circumstance within the award period, for example, if one of the children reaches the age of one. This must be taken into account when calculating the award

• Take two printouts of the calculation, one to file with the casepapers and the other to pass to your supervisor to be used for collating statistics

• The issue date of the award notice

• The total award amount payable

• A warning message for Contact Centre / Tax Credit Office (TCO) staff to read

Complex case, full details not captured on computer. Do Not enter any details on the computer, contact the Maintenance Team MU .See the MU Table for the correct MU number

And where appropriate

• Details of any child / wife / husband that has been removed because they could not be verified

• Child details that are not held on the child screen

• A message ‘No signed notice retd, rem cycle expired, DO NOT ISSUE ANY FURTHER PAYT’ once the automated reminder cycle and admin period has expired

• Details of extra wives / husbands (for example, full name, NINO, income details)

And

• List the relevant main carer for each child where there is a polygamous marriage / polyandrous marriage

Notes:

You must follow the guidance in How To Correctly Complete Application And Household Notes when you record the note

And also

Follow the guidance in Maintain Household Notes

• Obtain the local DWP / DSD / Job Centre Plus office telephone number from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) Directory

• Contact the local office to inform them that the claim is complex. Provide the surname and NINO of all the claimants

• Advise them that the DWP / DSD / Job Centre Plus computer must be noted with the following message

‘Complex case, full details not captured on TC computer. Do Not enter any details onto the computer, contact the Maintenance Team through the Contact Centre on 0845 300 3900’

• Confirm whether they require written confirmation, if they do, obtain the correct fax number and fax the details through confirming

• Who the fax has been sent from, including a tax credits letterhead / stamp

• Who the fax is for

• All claimants names and NINOs

• The award start date and rates for WTC / CTC where applicable

• A direct dial number for DWP / DSD / Job Centre Plus to use for any further contact regarding this claim only

• If there are more than 2 claimants, it may be necessary to add the total hours / earnings of claimants 2 and 3 (or more if appropriate) in the case of a polygamous marriage / polyandrous marriage (as the notice only provides room for 2 claimants)

In this case

• Prepare a covering letter (using a blank forms for computer (LFC)) to explain to the claimant that the income and earnings of claimants 2 and 3 (or more if appropriate) have been added together

Note: If the claim meets the criteria set out in Healthy Start Vouchers contact Technical Advice Line

• If any signatures are missing, issue two copies of the award notice (one to be kept and one for the claimant(s) to sign and return). Ensure there are enough declaration pages for each claimant in a polygamous marriage / polyandrous marriage to sign

• Issue the notice and the covering letter, if appropriate, by first class post, to the claimant or their appointee

• If the claim is not signed by all the claimants

• Apply the reminder cycle, go to step 30

• If signatures are not required, go to step 32

• Set a Bf date for 16 days from the date of issue to wait for a reply

• Store the actual claim in a Bf run

If a reply has not been received by the 16th day

• Issue a reminder notice and Bf the claim for 30 days after the date of issue

On the 30th day, the reminder cycle will end and no further payments must be issued if the notice is still not returned, signed by all the claimants. If the notice

• Is returned within this period, restart the payments

• Has not been returned with all the required signatures, the award will be finalised by the computer, go to step 33

• Is returned within the admin period, but is not signed by all the claimants, immediately re-issue it and inform the claimant that their payments will cease if the notice is not signed and returned by all the claimants by the last day of the admin period

• Is returned within the reminder period and signed by all the claimants, go to step 31

For guidance see Logging A Returned Award Notice

• Process the payments each week / 4 weeks (according to the payments cycle)

• Use Function MAINTAIN HOUSEHOLD NOTES to record the following message

‘TCMZ No signed notice retd, rem cycle expired. Do NOT issue any further payt’

Notes:

You must follow the guidance in How To Correctly Complete Application And Household Notes when you record the note

And also

Follow the guidance in Maintain Household Notes