Child Benefit check

In 2009 we where sent out letters from SW to confirm that our children still live with us and we had to put in school name and address with phone number.
Now my wife has a foreign name and I am wondering if any Irish sounding names had the same letter.
I have asked several different people all who have so called normal Irish names or should I say not foreign eg,Ryan,Smith etc, but none have received such letters.

Yes, only foreign nationals receive such letters.

Here's the official word from SW website:

EU/EEA citizens and Swiss national covered by EU Regulations are required to certify every 3 months that they continue to work in this State.

Non-EU/EEA citizens are also required to certify every 3 months that they and their children continue to live in this State.

There is the official line and the most likely line.

It is most likely that as a fraud prevention measure that SW are targetting those with 'foreign' names. There have been numerous posts on this.

We had the same letter, wife was in hospital so never returned it (wife is irish, kids born here but have my english surname)

the child benefit got stopped from Feb 2010, filled in there letter sent it off called a few times and told we need to wait 3-4 months to get it again... 3 months gone so expected it 1st of next month, we have a new letter they want more info now! wife went straight into the office to speak to some one show the kids passports hers etc but they say it will take 3 or 4 months again.

any one else having this problem it means my children have had no benefit this year for what will be 8 months if they sort it out, kids are at school here it all seems a bit mad. I am sure we are going to get a letter in 4 months time that says we cannot claim a back date for the last 8 months or something? and then it will all make sence... by the way none of her 4 sisters got these letters, so surnames seem to be the key!

my boyfriend gets this letter every three months without fail. He was born in England but has lived here for 21 years, leaving the country just twice in the last ten years for holidays. His surname is definitely Irish, having Irish parents.

He has to provide names and phone numbers of his son's school and doctor each time.

It wouldn't be too bad if everyone got the letter at some point, but it seems a ridiculous waste of money to send it to the same people repeatedly, when they've proven they aren't trying to commit fraud.

I just got one of these letters this week. I have an Irish Mc...... surname.

The issue of these letters is more likely to be based on the nationality which SW have recorded for the applicant than how Irish their surname sounds!

I got one of these letters yesterday, Irish surname

I also get this form every three month. Irish husband and surname, but I was born in the UK. As far as I know goes out to non nationals every three month. You would think to save money they could just check my contributions via my PPS No which is also my Child Beneift number and save all the time and money it cost to process these form. Surley a check on the system would prove we are still here.

Discussed at length here; thread closed