Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council

Registering a birth - 'tell us once' service

If you've just had a baby we can help you tell the people who need to know with the 'tell us once' service.

We can help you tell the people who need to know

When you have a new baby, there are lots of things that need to be done.  One of these things is contacting the government departments and local council services that need to be told about the birth.  Until now, you had to contact all of them individually.

We're providing a service which can help you give the information to the Department of Work and Pensions. If you want they can then pass this information on to a number of other organisations.

How the service can help you

You often have to contact several government departments and parts of the local council to give them the information about the birth. It's important that you do this as soon as possible as it may affect your entitlements, such as Child Benefit, Working Tax Credits or Child Tax Credits.

We want to make this easier for you, so if you want to use the service after registering the birth we will ask you some simple questions.  This means that you won't have to send a copy of the birth certificate in the post as we will contact the organisations that need to know on your behalf.

How you can contact us to use the service

If you would like to use the service please contact Stockton Register Office to make an appointment. Our office is open Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm. You can call in to make an appointment within these hours.

You need to have registered the birth first. If it helps, you can usually make appointments to see the Registrar and use the service at the same visit.

What happens to the information?

The following organisations can be contacted if you ask us to:

• Department for Work and Pensions - Jobcentre Plus
• Housing Benefit office
• Council Tax Benefit office
• Library services
• Children's services (Family Information services)
• HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) - Child Benefit, Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit

Using this service can, where certain conditions are met, help to speed up an application for Child Tax Credit or Working Tax Credit with HMRC if you are receiving benefits that relate to your income (for example Income Support, or some types of Jobseekers Allowance or Employment and Support Allowance). Please ask the advisor if you want to know more about this.

How we will treat the information you give us

The information you give will be treated securely and confidentially. The organisations who are contacted will use the information to update benefits, credits or help to start up services. They may use this information in other ways, but only as the law allows.

Information you will need to use this service

To make sure the right information is given to any organisations we contact for you and so that you get the most out of the service it will help if you can bring along with you the following information: 

• Birth Certificate (you may be registering the birth directly before you use this service)
• A completed claim form for Child Benefit (if you are making a claim)
• The National Insurance number and/or date of birth, address and telephone number of the person/s named on the birth register 
• Details of benefits that the person/s named on the birth register is receiving/has applied for
• The partner of the person named on the birth register, (if they live in the same household) including their National Insurance number and/or date of birth and information about any benefits they may be receiving

You will need to get the permission from these people to tell us about them before you use the service. 

Additional services offered by Stockton Borough Council

If you come and see an advisor, they will also be able to help you find other information and organisations that can help you.

We provide a service to check the form to claim Child Benefit. If you would like us to check the form please bring it along together with:

• the account number, sort code and address of your bank to be included on the child benefit form (if this is your first child)

Privacy

This service is committed to ensuring your information is protected. Our privacy statement tells you how we will use and protect your information when you use this service. Ask if you wish to see the full privacy statement.

Please remember that it is your responsibility to ensure that all organisations, that pay you a benefit/credit or provide a service to you, have correct and up to date information about you.

If you would like additional information about the 'tell us once' scheme please contact Stockton Register Office.