Am I Sinful for Keeping Child Benefit Payments Instead of Transferring Them to My Ex-Wife?
Hanafi Fiqh
Answered by Mawlana Ilyas Patel
Question
Am I sinful for keeping child benefit payments under my name instead of transferring them to my ex-wife, who has custody of the child in the UK?
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate.
I pray you are in good faith and health. Thank you for your question.
The child benefit is considered a gift and a benefit to support families. If you transferred the money to your ex-wife, that was fine, and no sin was incurred. However, as she is the primary carer, you should transfer the payment directly to her name.
When something is given as a gift, he becomes the owner. [Ibn ‘Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar]
I would like you to go through the valuable answers and links below. Insha’Allah, you will receive guidance and direction.
Related: Is It Permissible to Receive Government Benefits on …
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I pray this helps with your question.
Wassalam,
[Mawlana] Ilyas Patel
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat
Mawlana Ilyas Patel has received traditional education in various countries. He started his schooling in the UK and completed his hifz of the Quran in India. After that, he joined an Islamic seminary in the UK, where he studied secular and Aalimiyya sciences. Later, he traveled to Karachi, Pakistan, and other Middle Eastern countries to further his education. Mawlana has served as an Imam in the Republic of Ireland for several years and taught the Quran and other Islamic sciences to both children and adults. He also worked as a teacher and librarian at a local Islamic seminary in the UK for 12 years. Presently, he lives in the UK with his wife and is interested in books and gardening.
