Tax credits- childcare help please?

surreysaver

craig_dufc wrote: »

Also its important to tell them changes of income, most people do not realise but from April until the time you renew your claim is based on the estimate they hold for you (IE you've just done your 08-09 renewal, they ask for CY Est income and u say £20k, at end of year you've earned...£23k) then you'd have been overpaid between april and whenever u do your renewal

I thought you only had to tell them if your income changes by more than £25,000? Also, on our renewal, it says to only bother ringing them up if our income is expected to be outside of a particular band. We are thinking of giving up being paid tax credits, as they are far too complicated, cause too much stress and we know a couple of people who have been treated appallingly by HMRI simply for not understanding the system and being given incorrect information by the muppets when you ring them up.

alwaysonthego_2

surreysaver wrote: »

I thought you only had to tell them if your income changes by more than £25,000? Also, on our renewal, it says to only bother ringing them up if our income is expected to be outside of a particular band. We are thinking of giving up being paid tax credits, as they are far too complicated, cause too much stress and we know a couple of people who have been treated appallingly by HMRI simply for not understanding the system and being given incorrect information by the muppets when you ring them up.

It depends whether the op's award is based on the previous year's income or is an estimated figure. If it is an estimated figure if she does not inform them that her income has gone up then she risks being over paid.

p.s there are TC advisers who come on here and would not appreciate you calling them muppets!

surreysaver

alwaysonthego wrote: »

p.s there are TC advisers who come on here and would not appreciate you calling them muppets!

It's like any job. You get good staff and you get muppets. The trouble is, it only takes one muppet to totally screw up your life when you start getting questioned under caution because HMRI think you've been fiddling the system. That is why there is such a low uptake of tax credits - because of the extremley poor reputation of the competence of the staff who work for them.

craig_dufc

surreysaver wrote: »

But what if it changes by £5, then six months later another £5?

Then you would have to wait until it's increased by the full £10 a week (IE after the second time it's increased by £5, and then inform them)

RE Income, if it's PY income that the award is based on then fine, wont be overpaid, what i said was that each APRIL, your award is based on the estimate they hold (EG...You earn 15k last year, think it will be the same again, so estimate that...fine and dandy, April passes and so your award now based on your estimate, if your income is actually over that you'll be overpaid)

michellen34

I have to admit I still don't understand it all, I i agree with surveysaver, it is very complicated and hard to understand. I'm dreading it incase i do something wrong!

alawaysonthego, this is my first job in years as i have been a stay at home mom, so will they just estimate my first years income? (i'll be doing 16 hours a week and its 6.20 an hour) and do i have to estimate it or do they? I won't know how to work it out with tax and NI etc???

Also is it best to keep everything incase it's needed? i.e payslips and whatever else you get?