New single mum. Will I have to wait?

Dolly-Rocket

Hello Everyone,

I am going to become a single mum to two when my husband leaves next month. I'm just trying to sort out my finances and work out what I will be entitled to (I have just switched to a part-time contract earning approx £13,000 pa).

It looks like I will get about £125 pw in Child tax credit Does that sound about right? And that I earn too much for Working tax Credit.

My question is: When I call the tax credits line and tell them that I am now single and what my new salary is will they make me wait until next April before I can claim anything? They tend to base pay outs on the last years P60's, but obviously mine is going to be very different. I wont be able to cope on the £10pw that I get at the moment.

Any tips/advice/pointers are GREATLY appreciated.

Many thanks

Dolly!:o

[Deleted User]

http://www.entitledto.co.uk/
try the above it may give you an idea

SuziQ

They will end your joint claim and start a single one for you,once that's sorted you will get ctc as soon as they can sort it.

judy2357

Will you get maintenance? Not sure how this affects Tax credits

rachnbri

judy2357 wrote: »

Will you get maintenance? Not sure how this affects Tax credits

It doesn't.

mcnolegs

Maintenance isn't taken is as far as Tax Credits is concerned. As far as income goes, once you put in a single claim it will be based purely on your taxable income for the year, not the old joint household income. In the first instance, it's assessed on your actual income for last year but once the claim goes into payment you can give new figures based on what you're likely to earn this year and providing you get a new claim submitted your single claim will start the day after you end the joint one - you'll be as well getting a claim pack requested now. Only thing you need to be careful of is they can't receive the new form until after you end the joint claim; it'll probably mean there is a delay where you're without tax credits but if you ring the helpline about a week after posting the form and then check back with them till it goes into payment it hopefully should go through quickly

Dolly-Rocket

Thank you everyone for your replies.
I based the £125pw on what entitledto had estimated (its a great site).
Hubby is also going to pay me £300 pm maintenance.

So I guess that I am right in saying that as soon as he goes, I end the joint one and submit a single claim. They may base it on my full time earnings for last year (which probably wont pay more than £10pw), but as soon as it has been logged and agreed, I then call them with my new part-time wage and then wait for the payments to be altered to approx £125pw?

Right better try and find that P60, normally brilliant at filing and being organised, btu dont recall seeing that in my filing cabinet!

Does anyone know if I would be entitled to help with Council Tax? Just found out (via this site) that as I wont be on WTC I will be entitled to Healthy Start vouchers of £9pw. I had no idea. Hopefully things wont be such a struggle afterall, I was having nightmares about being able to cope and wondered if keeping my job (which I really love) would be worth it. Looks like it is!:T