Help regarding Tax Credits please

MonsterMunch08

I live with my husband and we have a 6 month old son. My husband will be starting full time work in 1 week working 39+ hours. I will be starting work anywhere between 2-6 weeks time as just waiting for my CRB check to go through. My son will have to go to a childminders for 5 hours a day.. which is going to cost me £75 per week. I will be working 15 hours a week.

I have filled in the calculator on entitledto and because I do under 16 hours it is saying we are only entitled to £20 a week child credits. This means I get hardly anything towards my childcare.
This also means that most of my wage will go on childcare, making it not so worth me working... but I want to work.

Yet if I fill out entitled to again and say that I am working 16 hours then we get alot more towards childcare... is this really the case over the sake of 1 hour?

I have already spoken to me new employer and asked if there is any chance at all of me being able to work an extra hour each week... and have been told there is no chance.

I would be ever so grateful for any help x

Auzelia

the 1 hour extra is what is needed.

you both have to be working at least 16 hours or more to claim childcare costs, otherwise the computer sees is as such that no childcare is required.

Can you not get the extra hour, you could even do selfemployer for the 1 hour by doing mystery shopping etc and doing the self employed tax thing.

MonsterMunch08

Does it have to be 16 hours a week as a contract? Or does it go off your NI number? As if I can do overtime some weeks... will I then get Tax Credits for those weeks? Or is that not how it works? I have begged my employer for the extra hour and been told they just can not do it, but that some weeks overtime may be available if someone is on holiday or off sick.

Auzelia

it has to be contracted 16 hours, but can be split over 2 or more employers.
But you can also do the 1 hour as self employed i,e mystery shopper, avon etc.