Not eligable for working tax credits? help please!

[Mum2Ty2Be]

Just looking for some advice before i challenge the claim as i'm sure this cant be right. Me and my partner have just had a baby so we sent our claim form off for working and child tax credits. My partner works 35 hours a week, his total earnings from april 2010-april2011 were only 9,000. I am currently not working, i was dismissed when i was 12 weeks pregnant, however my total earnings were 15,000 back then, but at the moment i get nothing at all obviously. We've got the letter back this morning saying were not eligable for working taxcredits and only £53 a month child tax credits? surely this cant be right? yes fair enough i was on a good wage then but i earn nothing now! we are never going to be able to survive on my partners wage alone with a newborn baby, thanks in advance.

 

[Miss_d]

doesnt sound right, phone them and ask them why this is also say you want it based on THIS years earnings

 

[rockstar]

This would be correct as they go in last years earnings.

 

[littleblonde]

They go on last years earnings. But now you have your entitlement letter you can ring them up and give them this years estimate and it should go up x

 

[KatyKat]

I might be wrong but if you're not currently working then I don't think you're entitled to working tax credits, as they're meant to help cover the cost of childcare. The logic being that if you don't work you don't need to pay for childcare?

The child tax credit figure does sound a bit low though?

 

[feeble]

They are basing it on last year which is why its so low, so it should go up in April

have you checked Entitled to? its an online calculator which tells you all the benefits you could receive x

 

[smileyfaces]

Yes that sounds right, you need to have less than 22k a year to get working tax credits and seeing as though it goes off the previous year you are not entitled. If you call up now you have got that letter ou should be able to give estimates for the current year and it should increase your child tax credits x

 

[Mrs_X]

you have had a big drop in earnings for this tax year, so ring them up and tell them your estimated income for this tax year and they will change it. thats what i got told when i rung them up over my form x