Please Help Clarify - Working Tax Credit

curlygirl2

My husband and I currently receive working tax credit. He works 40+ hours per week and I was working 16. However, I have now gone down to 15.75 (just under 16) and wonder if we can still claim? I know there is some regulation where you have to work at least 16 hours and I know that this applies to single parents and also to people claiming the childcare element of working tax credit (we don't claim this anymore as our children are now at school). BUT does this also apply to married couples? Do both partners have to work over 16 hours or are married/cohabiting couples judged solely on joint income?

HELP! If we are going to lose it then I will need to bargain with my boss and go back to 16, but despite being only quarter of an hour short per week this could be tricky due to school hours!

amersall

curlygirl2 wrote: »

My husband and I currently receive working tax credit. He works 40+ hours per week and I was working 16. However, I have now gone down to 15.75 (just under 16) and wonder if we can still claim? I know there is some regulation where you have to work at least 16 hours and I know that this applies to single parents and also to people claiming the childcare element of working tax credit (we don't claim this anymore as our children are now at school). BUT does this also apply to married couples? Do both partners have to work over 16 hours or are married/cohabiting couples judged solely on joint income?

HELP! If we are going to lose it then I will need to bargain with my boss and go back to 16, but despite being only quarter of an hour short per week this could be tricky due to school hours!

only one partner has to work 30 or more hours a week to be eligible as you have no kids (you must be on very low incomes to claim this?,we are in the same position but cannot claim, our yearly income on 16 and 37 hours is 26000 )

curlygirl2

Hiya. Thanks for your reply, however we do have children. They are both in school now which is why we no longer claim the childcare element (for when they are in nursery/early years care). Do you know if that makes a difference as to whether or not we both have to do over 16 hours?

bestpud

Only one of you has to work 16 hrs or over to claim wtc. There is a bonus element if one of you works more than 30 hours however.

curlygirl2

Thank you both for replying. I was scared to call them in case they withdrew the benefit (though I know you have to let them know). At least I don't have to negotiate again with my boss now!

bestpud

curlygirl2 wrote: »

Thank you both for replying. I was scared to call them in case they withdrew the benefit (though I know you have to let them know). At least I don't have to negotiate again with my boss now!

Don't worry; it won't make any difference whatsoever.

bestpud

Having just said that though, is your OH's job recession proof?

I ask because, if he happened to be made redundant and you became the sole earner, you'd be a lot better off financially if you were still working over 16 hours a week.

curlygirl2

Oooh good point. I would never dare say my husband's job is recession-proof but we both have really secure jobs so we're very fortunate there. If it happened I am sure I could re-negotiate my hours. Thanks for your advice.

mitchaa

The WTC threshold is not high, are you both min wage workers?

I would have thought 40hrs+ and 15.75hrs would have equated to a level of income above WTC

bestpud

mitchaa wrote: »

The WTC threshold is not high, are you both min wage workers?

I would have thought 40hrs+ and 15.75hrs would have equated to a level of income above WTC

It depends on the number of children and also whether they are earning more this year than last, as it may be based on last years income.