advice on term time only work and tax credits

louserendipity

hi all
i am a lone parent on income support
i am doing a college course and a voluntary job alongside
the voluntary work have offered me 16 hrs a week term time only
trouble is wtc can't tell me whether they average out the hrs making it 12 a week

or what happens ????
i am in a position to get off benefits but can't take it as no one can tell me what i am entitled to !!
does anyone else work part time in term time only who can help??
any advice would be great

SuziQ

Why not run this by your lone parent advisor? I have always found them very helpful and do a projection to show you if it's worth you taking the job.

[Deleted User]

If it is voluntary work that would mean it is unpaid.

You cannot claim WTC for unpaid work. You need to be in remunerative employment - getting paid to do it.

If you actually get paid for your employment here is the answer from the claim pack notes - http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/forms/tc600-notes.pdf - Section 4.3


If you work only during school terms and your work forms a regular pattern over the year, enter the number of hours a week you work during school terms.

louserendipity

sorry i wasn't very clear
the people i volunteer for have offered to pay me !!!!!

dizzylady

i work as a school cleaner 16 a week and its not the hours thats averaged out its the pay so i get paid the same each month even when its the school holidays. weekly wage * by 52 weeks a year - 4 for normal holidays then divide by 12 gives you your monthly amount

dizzylady

sorry forgot to say i am in the same position as you and i say i work 16 hours a week for my working and child tax credits and have had no problems

louserendipity

hi dizzylady thanks for your reply.
i have just been on the phone to them and now they say i have to do 22 hrs a week during term time to get my average 16 hrs a week
the problem is the pre school isn't even open for 22 hrs a week !!
wondering if i got a few hours on a second job how that would work out???

[Deleted User]

louserendipity - you have been told a load of BS. You do not avergae your hours over the year. Look at the guidance link I sent. It is very clear that term time workers declare the hours they work during term. They are still classed as working during the holidays as they cannot help that there is no work during this period.

louserendipity

thankyou i didn't have chance to read the link - i will do it now
thanks again

callow

The Term time work rule only applies when working for organisations that are only open in terms, such as school, colleges and universities.

If someone did "term time" hours but worked as a normal office secretary, for example (where the rest of the workforce is working in the school holidays) then the term time rule doesn't apply. I know of a few nurses and social workers that have managed to get these term time hours. As you can imagine they are very sought after in these jobs.

So, to the OP if you are doing your paid work in a school or college then you only need to work 16 hours a week.

rachnbri

If you're contracted to work term time only than tax credits will treat your term time hours as your "normal working hours" and you'll be able to claim WTC. If your contract ends at the end of term and restarts at the beginning of the next term then you need to be working an average of 16+ hours per week through the year. From what you've said you should be OK to claim WTC.

Hope that makes sense.