Tax credit Joint to single claim.....how is it worked out?

Jummy

Hi!
If you split with partner you had a joint tax credit claim with how do they then work out the single claim?
Is it as simple as they take the ex partners last wage slip details?

System

When you make the new single claim it has nothing whatsoever to do with the ex so TCO only want you to specify your own 08/09 income as per your P60 and will base your new claim on that.

Valli

and if you have recently separated tell the council tax people ASAP because you get a 25% discount

daska

Just as a word of warning, double check the address on your joint claim before it gets closed down. I had my Tax Credits and HealthyStart vouchers messed up for several months because HMRC had changed the address on our joint claim (who knows why) and it couldn't be corrected.

patty666

Jummy - what will happen is follows....

Call the helpline with the date of separation, and the joint claim will be ended. They'll check you'll be entitled to a new claim and arrange for a new claim to be made (usually can be done over the phone) - updating new addresses as appropriate.

With the joint claim now ended, so further action is required for this one until the renewal period. You and your ex will receive separate renewals asking for your own income details. It is important this is completed by both of you, otherwise you'll need to pay back some money (I know you're not really renewing the claim but it's needed to check you got the right money). You'll also get a letter saying your payments will stop - don't worry, if you check the notice you'll see both you and your ex's names on it (meaning only the payments on your old claim are stopping).

Single claim - new details will be taken from you, and this will be processed as a new application - award notice will be sent out when processed.

Hope that helps you (and makes sense). (Guess the short answer to your question is "no") -

System

Make sure you get your ex to call TCO too to give them his new address or confirm that he is continuing at the old address. I say this because when they end the old joint claim for some reason the RLS (Return Letter Service) signal gets set against his name and so no correspondence gets sent to them.

This happened to a relative when he and wife split. They continued to live together reluctantly after he found about her affair (advice of solicitor) and he was unaware that wife had made new single claim, neither did he know anything about an overpayment on their old joint claim because the RLS signal had been set against him and TCO could not send anything to him about it. He only found out about all this when he rang them up when he officially moved out and wanted to give them his new address.