How long does student finance take?

divastrop

wobblymummy wrote: »

We claim child tax credits and a tiny tiny amount of working tax credits (less than a pound) we dont have any childcare as I am at home (till Sept)

I asked the advisor if I could claim some childcare costs as my daughter is a pre schooler and I may need an extra hour here and there depending on what time my sessions at uni finish.

He said do you claim tax credits ? I said yes just the basic though, we dont use any childcare or anything.

He said no you cant claim.

I said, I think you misunderstand me and think I claim childcare costs but I dont, as I dont work and dont use childcare. I think you might be mistaken.

He said, if you claim tax credits you cant claim any childcare.

I said do you mean if I am already claiming the childcare element of tax credits, which I am not, I cant claim, I think you mean this, but this is not the case.

He said no, if you are claiming any tax credits you cant claim childcare costs.

I said ok then bye. This was after he had put me on hold and apparently checked the information with a supervisor!

It beggars belief.

As far as I am aware you can claim childcare as a student and it is not in the same pot as tax credits and it should not affect your tax credits claim. I am claiming the grand sum of £9 per week.

Your student loans and grants are not classed as income for tax credit purposes, unless you get the adult dependent grant, which is classed as your income and you must put this down on your unearned income when returning your paperwork.

I was told that I can claim the childcare grant even though I am getting CTC, they said you only can't get it if you are getting the childcare element of tax credits. I was also told by tax credits, on two separate occasions that no student finance at all is taken into consideration when working out CTC (and I mentioned the ADG as I know it's classed as income for HB etc), so does it only apply to working tax credit or have I been given wrong info?

wobblymummy

See below, directly copied from the HMRC site

What not to include

Don't include:

• maintenance payments received from a former partner
• tax credit payments
• student loans
• student grants, except the Adult Dependant's Grant
• income your children have had, unless it's taxable in your or your partner's name
• the Christmas Bonus and the Winter Fuel Payment
• income from tax-free savings such as Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs), Personal Equity Plans (PEPs), index-linked and fixed-interest National Savings Certificates, Children's Bonus Bonds war pensions
• pensions or annuities paid to victims of Nazi persecution

If you are unsure whether or not to include income, call the Tax Credit Helpline on Tel 0845 300 3900 or Textphone 0845 300 3909

divastrop

thanks for that info

curlycat_2

We have had no end of trouble with Student Finance. Been caught up in the same problems. Firstly they claim that if you get tax credits they want no further evidence. Then they decided to audit the previous year and would grant this year until proof had been provided and now, 7 months after that, they have decided to audit this years.

I'm starting to feel I'm being harassed by them. Perhaps it's because I made a formal complaint about them last year and this is their revenge.