Tax credits....

[ummmm]

I only came on to ask a question and got distracted...

Tax credits deadline is 31st July. My friend says she still can't get through and now she's out of credit.

Can she just send off the form or will she have to make a new claim? Anyone know?

(I'm not going to her with my phone because as far as I'm concerned I've been watching these adds for months..!)

[themas]

She shouldn't have left it so late!

Yes - send the form off, but keep a copy & send it 1st class recorded delivery. She will probably get a letter reminding her about the renewal & giving her 30 days to reply. When she gets it she should ring them (& persevere until she does get through - it is not impossible to do so, although it can be time consuming & frustrating), tell them she has sent the form & ask whether she can do the renewal on the phone there & then if it has not yet been entered on the system.

[joeluke]

Deadlines for tax credits and Self Assessment tax returns end up being the same old story........people complaining they couldn't get through on the phone or couldn't file online on the last couple of days before the deadlines.because the phonelines are really busy and the HMRC website crashes because so many are trying to access it

Er hello, you've had months to do this so why leave it until the last minute?

[ummmm]

Lol....I know I said that.

I am guilty of doing it with my tax return once...

Themas....the problem is she is on PAYG and it's not free from a mobile. She's put on hold for so long that she keeps running out of credit.

[SMP]

You don't have to phone to renew you can just send the form back. As far as I can remember from helping my daughter, it's pretty straightforward, check the information, change it if it's not right, sign it and send it back.
My daughter got her renewal pack end of April beginning of May, so you get plenty of time to sort it out.

[ummmm]

She can't get through before she runs out of credit.

I'll tell her to go to the tax office....

I know the form gets sent out early giving plenty of time....so I have a lack of sympathy. She was just wondering if the form will still be accepted after the dead-line or will she have to make a new claim.

[Nosha123]

i heard that some people who have a child and earn over £30k get tax credits...

What The Funicular???

Isnt £30k enough to live on then???

no wonder the last government spent all our money.. if they are giving it out to people earning £30k....

Perhaps I should pop out a kid and claim some too!

[ummmm]

Nosha...that would be a family with maybe 3 or 4 kids. They wouldn't get much either.

[Nosha123]

if they dont get much then.. is it even worth giving them anything???

I guess this govt will be tackling the whole benefit thing anyway - to see where they can save money...

Personally I have chosen to not have children as I cant afford them... couldnt afford childcare.. dont have family nearby who could help - and couldnt afford to not work...

Which is just fine.... however - if I did have kids - I wouldnt be expecting someone else to pay for them...

I guess the system is to blame in the end.. as people will only claim what they are offered... if its not on offer - they cant claim it!

Does your friend work?

[Skyline D]

You can earn up to £50k household income and still get child tax credits, although that will be dropping to £40k shortly.

[ummmm]

No she doesn't. Her daughter has a condition...can't remember what it's called now but she's not long had an operation on the back of her skull. Looks like she'll need further operations as well. Because of the condition her daughter suffers severe headaches.

Nosha...not much has changed. Before tax credits you got income support. The amount of income support you got depended on how many children you have. Now you only get income support/JSA for the adult and have to claim for the children separately.

If you're earning 50k you'd be very lucky to just receive an NHS card.

[Skyline D]

If you're earning £50k you get nothing.

However, as I said, you can earn close to it and still get reasonable child tax credits. We do, though partly because there's a premium credit paid where the child is under a year old. We will however drop out of entitlement when the present government drop the limit to £40k at the next tax year end. I don't have a problem with that. I was surprised we were entitled to it in the first place.