Child tax credits query

[tigwig]

I work 15 hours a week and after my overpayment from the inland revenue has been sorted (a long story) I will still be entitled to claim tax credits again. My question is does it make a difference working 15 hours rather than 16 because other part time staff say they have to work 16 hours because it effects their tax credits. I do not get any help with childcare just the basic tax credit which I think is the family element? Does anyone know about this?

[pink-kittens]

Did a quick work out for you with a hypothetical 1 child of 4 years old, a 15 hour week and a wage of �4,000 per year and got this:
Based on the information you have entered, your household is not entitled to Working Tax Credit but is entitled to Child Tax Credit:-
Child Tax Credit
Child Tax Credit �444.72
Working Tax Credit
Your household is not entitled to Working Tax Credit because of the following reasons:-
- The claimant(s) must have children and work 16 hours per week or more.
or
- Claimant(s) who do not have children must work 30 hours per week or more and be aged 25 or over and are not disabled.
or
- Claimant(s) who are disabled must work 16 hours per week or more.
or
- Claimant(s) who are aged 50 or over must have been unemployed and in receipt of benefits for 6 months leading up to the claim and work 16 hours per week or more.


http://www.taxcredits.inlandrevenue.gov.uk/Hom eNew.aspx

[tigwig]

Hi pink kitten ,thanks for your answer. Are you saying I would be entitled to more money if I worked 16 hours rather than 15 because that can easily be arranged. My wage is approx �7.38 an hour I think if that helps!

[tigwig]

sorry forgot to add that I have 1 child aged 3

[ethanryan]

yes you only qualify for working tax if you do 16 hours plus, you are entitled to child tax though.
i think if you work less than 16 you claim income support

[pink-kittens]

Certainly you would get more Working TC's, yes. As it stands now you get �00.00 WTC and only �444. Child TC's
See if you can do one extra hour per week somewhere :)

Based on doing just 1 extra hour per week and a wage of �5,300, you will get an extra 632.35 per year PLUS if you need childcare, you will get something towards that too. The Child TC's stay the same

[helpmetoo]

why not work proper hours,

then you might contribute some tax instead of helping yourself to mine

[Hellyon]

How dare you helpmetoo? How do you know Tigwigs situation, she may be widowed or divorced. She is working and not spongeing off benefits to support her child, and by the sounds of it once her child is at school will work even more.

[helpmetoo]

there was nothing directly personal just a general nudge to all tax credit and childcare claimants putting in the minimum to work the system,
look at the figures and it is obvious that there is more 'tax credit' etc coming out of the tax coffers than there is going in,
i didnt use the word spongeing but i think the minimum that fair minded people should expect is for the situation not to be cost negative,

work hard enough to generate some 'virtual' tax then at least you are only claiming back your own money
(but obviously not contributing to overall revenue)

[Petal~flower]

helpmeto... what do you mean by proper hours?

if you are a single parent, which is often by circumstance, and not by choice, as a lot of people tend to think. Then finding a job which works round employers and looking after child/children is not that easy.

You have to work min of 16hrs to qualify for working tax credit. How many employers offer those hours? Its either up to 15, or 25 and over. Remember that us lone parents have to work, look after children and pay all the bills. And we pay tax

I was working a 30 hr week, got made redundant, got a new job and am at moment only working 20 hour week, as it was all I could get.

I take it you have never been in our position.

Apologies to tigwig for my rant.

[tigwig]

helpmetoo who do you think you are? You are quick to judge me and no nothing about my situation. Although I do not have to explain myself to you I will so other narrow minded people like yourself will know that I am NOT a sponger. I work 2 days a week and on my wage cannot possibly afford to pay childcare so I rely on my mum. Before my mum in law died last year at the age of 57 from cancer, I worked more but now I cant. My husband is self employed and works full time and can earn anything from �25 to �30k a year so I am not on benefits. The only benefit I do get is child benefit and since the death of his mum and the horrible weather recently my hubby had not been able to work as much and we are really struggling to pay the bills and live etc. I and people who earn far more are entitled to tax credits and why the hell shouldn't I claim them? I have worked ever since leaving college and fullt time until my daughter was born

[tigwig]

forgot to say thanks to the rest of you guys for your support!

[pink-kittens]

With a husband who earns that kind of money I doubt you'll get any help WTC wise.
You certainly won't get any CTC allowance either. My workings out were based on you being a single parent and you are not - you misled those of us who helped you when you didn't mention a HUSBAND who works and earns between 25 and 30k a year.
Work as many hours as you like, you get WTC
So in answer to this: Are you saying I would be entitled to more money if I worked 16 hours rather than 15 ......... the answer is now NO

[helpmetoo]

by circumstance?

by carelessness morelike,

i would classify proper hours as absolutely no less that 37 per week,

i work 72 hours per week in order to fulfill my obligations,

i pay more than �1500 per month in tax and ni and would just like to feel that the recipients of my stoppages are trying their best, not wondering that if by working just one extra hour per week they can skim of another �100 or so.

i know the leftie lot on here will never agree, but dont resort to violence, we live in a democracy apparently...

tigwig
i am happy for you to claim whatever you can, so long as it keeps you happy knowing people are working their ***** off for your benefit

i think the government should introduce 'part time working aston martin benefit', i cant afford one but i will get one all the same and you lot can pay for it

[pink-kittens]

helpmetoo - you missed the bit where she now tells us she has a husband who earns 24-30K per year

So she won't be entitled to any WTC; case closed

Sometimes becomming a single parent is not a choice you make but is whether or not you choose to work as that SP is

[tigwig]

have you quite finished slagging me off or do you want to have another go? Just because I have a husband who works full time is actually irrelevant in this case. He pays enough tax and NI too you know. I am still entitled to child tax credit is that my fault or should I not claim what I am entitled to? A colleague I work with gets �60 a month although she has 2 kids and works the same as me and her hubby earns �40k plus. I am far from a sponger and am very offended that you think I am. It is not my fault the Inland Revenue allow people to claim this money, it is not like I sit on my backside with my hubby and do nothing and claim every benefit under the sun, far from it. Just for the record you might think we are actually loaded but as I have already said with my hubby being self employed and a bricklayer we haven't had a wage big enough to pay the mortgage and bills for at least 2 months now and things have got that bad we might have to sell the house cos we can no longer afford it unless the weather picks up, we are living mostly off credit cards at the mo so I do not feel guilty over trying to claim what I am entitled to.

[helpmetoo]

not making my point aimed at you exclusively and personally,

i agree with your view that the system does nothing to encourage responsibility

no need to rant back

[tigwig]

helpmetoo what did you expect? Of course I have taken it personally you were ranting about me. I agree with your views about people who sponge off the system but I am not one of them. My hubby works and I work as much as I physically can with a 3 yr old to look after. Everyone is entitled to child benefit and tax credits. I could understand it if I was one of the many people in the world who choose not to work and are happy to live off benefits but that is not me. What do you have against normal hardworking people like me who although have working partners still sometimes need extra help when they are going through a rought time? Also, I wasn't careless when choosing to have a child. For gods sake I only have 1 not 10. I don't think there is any need for your unkind sarcastic comments. I and my whole family work extremely hard and all pay alot of tax as well, I do plan to work alot more hours when my daughter is at full time school not that I should have to justify myself to you.

[helpmetoo]

very good we can agree to disagree then and move on...

[pink-kittens]

I didn't say you were not entitled to CTC, but you wont get WTC. No one called you a sponger either. And your friend has 2 children, not one, it makes a difference. If you look and work as I did, you will not get a penny in WTC, but you can do that yourself. What your friend gets is of no relevance to you anyway; All claims are separate. You can't tell HMRC that because your friend gets such and such you want it too.

I should say you wont get CTA which is child care allowance that will pay for nursery/minder etc if you need to use one when working.

Your other half earns too much, simple.

The rules are complicated for the self employed you will need to speak to someone at HRMC.

[tigwig]

ok thanks I know it makes no difference what my friend gets I was just saying. Anyway lets as you say helpmetoo move on and forget it. No hard feelings we are all entitled to our opinions after all that is what answerbank is about! Thanks for your constructive answers anyway