A Romanian judge has ruled that a single mother-of-two, Mihaela Cornienco, will continue to receive UK benefits, specifically child support, even though she and her kids never lived in the UK.
According to the judge, whose decision was confirmed by the HMRC who expressed that the ruling is in accordance with the EU laws, the mother is entitled to £150-a-month child support because her ex-husband, 45-year-old Bogdan, began collecting it eight years ago when he was working and living in the UK.
Bogdan, who worked in the UK as a hygiene inspector, was regularly sending payments to his ex-wife before vanishing into thin air and never reaching out to his ex-wife again.
While the marriage failed and his whereabouts remain unknown, the EU law entitles the single mom to receive child support from the country she and her kids never lived in.
“The divorce of the parents does not alter the fact that the children remain family members of their father, who lives and works in the UK,” the HMRC confirmed.
According to this ruling, the UK taxpayers will cash out £150 per month to Mihaela. While this may not sound like much, the money presents a significant boost to the mother’s family as it amounts up to nearly half of the average monthly wage in Romania.
“I won my case to get the benefits but I’m still not sure I’m getting all the money I deserve.point 206 |
My ex-husband has worked in the UK for more than eight years, earning around £1,500-a-month, but he resigned from his old job and now no one knows where he is.point 131 | But I still think he is claiming more than he is sending back,” Mihaela, who works as a teacher in the city of Focsani, said.point 234 | 1
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