Entitled? Child Tax Credits / Working Tax Credits

[Helen]

Sent a claim form in for working tax credits and based on last years earnings we were refused. Fair enough. I'd rung the helpline and they said to wait till we got the refusal and then appeal for this year. Apparently, it has to be on the system first and this is the only way to get it on.

Got a letter back the other day after my appeal and it says "sorry, the event that you talk about hasn't happened yet". WTF! Er... no .. I'm pretty sure I did have twins 4 months ago!

 

[Wobbles]

LMAO Helen!!

 

[Hels]

I contacted them when I had Charlie, they said no. I was terrified that Id have money to pay back, DH wages changes weekly so it would be nightmare to keep up to date.
It sounds like another shit set up to me, Like Child Support and the likes.

 

[Helen]

Rang them back about the letter and told them my estimated earnings for this year. Woman on other end has keyed them into the system and says there will be some more paperwork coming out to us. Yippee!

She had no idea what the letter meant though. That's reassuring, isn't it?

 

[snugglemuffin]

Ok I worked on the tax credit "helpline" for a year. Any dispute form goes into an ENOURMOUS que and is dealt with in dte order. Last time i worked on that department it was 6 months behind and they are dealt with in date order.

the training the staff get was supposed to be 3 months but now you get a 3 week course. We have NO way of contacting the actual tax credit office. The estimates you are given over the phone are from software tht is broken daily and is often totally out of whack (i used to calculate my own based on my salary and it was different everyday) I would advise Anyone claiming to get a claim form and claim it rather than getting an estimate over the phone or have someone tell you your not entitled.

As far as overpayments go so many are being disputed now and with the problems they have had alot are being written off. If you are persistent you can get it written off but it takes time and red tape.

They managed to overpay me by £300. They paid my Salary.

I now work on the PAYE desk so any tax issues anyone may have i can try and help Self assesment and what not i have to do them every day :"( or i did before lil one

 

[pinkish_angel]

what happens if u get overpaid cuz I am sure I have been? do they send u a bill that u have to pay back or do they take it off you weekly or does it work some other way?

 

[Linzi]

i don't get it either they have stopped ours cos they had paid us 300 pounds to much and we didn't qualifie for working tax credits either we earned to much

I think it's a bit strange how my partner and I, our combined income is classed as 'low income' when it comes to this 10p tax thingy that they've been talking about on the news, but when it comes to working tax credits we earn too much.

Matt has an interview for a promotion today though so Im seriously hoping he gets it othwise I dont have a clue where the £660 for nursery fees is coming from.

xxx

 

[loulizr]

This is one of my biggest worries - I already know that I don't qualify for tax credits, even when there will only be one wage coming in. I won't be able to afford to stay at home, yet I won't be able to afford childcare to go back to work!
Talk about a rock & a hard place!

 

[2nd time mum]

This tax credit situation seems to be sooo scary for applying! People depend on that money sometimes and this is the way you are treated. It's an absolute disgrace the Government treat people this way. Good luck to everyone involved and keep complaining!! I am sure half the people who work there don't understand it either and that's what makes it worse. At one point they had amended my award to say I was working 0 hours per week, once I spoke to someone who knew what she was doing I got a refund and then 3 months later at renewal time they took most of it back! Then another time with childcare they had paid me £65 but took back about £200 when I said my son was no longer in after school care - doesn't make sense!

 

[Dream.A.Dream]

I don't get it because i'm under 25. If i earned exactly the same but was 25 i'd be entitled!! i don't get it!

 

[ablaze]

I don't get it because i'm under 25. If i earned exactly the same but was 25 i'd be entitled!! i don't get it!

i get it an im 21

 

[Arcanegirl]

You dont get it for under 25 if youre part of a couple....

Im not entitled either, but can claim through Rob since hes over 25

 

[ablaze]

my ex wasnt 25 an we got them! weeird!!!

 

[~KACI~]

Because you have the LO's Dippy, you have to be over 25 if you haven't got kids x

 

[Shifter]

What I don't understand is the calculator on the gov website. I have tried filling it in several times to see what hubby and I are entitled to and it always comes back as nothing.

I have tried all sorts of different configurations to test the system, i.e. with hubby as primary applicant, with me as primary, with me as working, me as not working, pre-baby, post-baby etc. But whatever way I fill in the form it says we get diddly. Yet, according to their own published guidelines of entitlement we should qualify for quite a tidy payout.

Our joint earnings are under £35k, we are both over 25. I work but am employed through an agency. I won't be getting SMP, I'll be on the allowance but am still classed as working while on maternity leave.

Can anyone suggest what the problem is? Is the online tool just broken?

 

[Shifter]

I think I just worked out that the earnings threshold for working tax credits is much, much lower than the threshold for child tax credits - I had assumed it was the same!

 

[Welsh_mum_to_b]

HELP... im starting to stress. dont really understand the site to figure out if we ae entitled!! how do you apply anyway? im stressing bcoz i keep getting told they only backdate 3 months and my LO is 3 months 1 week. missing out already... stress

Please help.. thanks xxx

 

[Shifter]

HELP... im starting to stress. dont really understand the site to figure out if we ae entitled!! how do you apply anyway? im stressing bcoz i keep getting told they only backdate 3 months and my LO is 3 months 1 week. missing out already... stress

Please help.. thanks xxx

Your hospital should have given you all the info when you had your LO. But go to the job centre to get the application forms hun.

 

[marchbaby16]

Hello all

I'm very confused with this whole matter. can anyone shed some light with me please?

Myself and my OH are expecting our first baby in a few weeks time.I will then be on maternity leave for 9 months only receiving SMP.

My other half earns around £27k a year, So with this is mind am I entitled to anything extra apart from Statutory Maternity Pay? Does everyone receive Chile Benefit and Child tax credits? Is Child Tax credits and Working Tax Credits the same thing?

My understanding of this was that everyone received Chile Benefit (which is approx £20 per week? Am I correct) and also Child Tax credit. Then the other Working Tax Credit is available to families on low incomes.

If anyone can help me out I would be very grateful.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Shifter]

Marchbaby - yes, everyone gets Child Benefit and everyone with a joint income under about £60,000 gets Child Tax Credit. But Working Tax Credit is only for people on a household income of less than £16,000.