Confused!!

lady_fuschia

Sorry if this has been asked before, I did do a quick search!

I was just wondering- on the working tax credits form it clearly says that you must be over 25 to claim, yet I'm sure that I've known many people under this age who have claimed them, including some who were still living with parents. Does anyone have experience with this? Is there a way I can claim before I'm 25? And if not, why not? It seems like a very bizarre rule to me!

chugalug

I think the over 25 rule is only if you're single ie no children and if you don't have a disability.

KizzyK_2

Chugalug's right :cool:

Tax Credit rules

Are you eligible for Working Tax Credit?

If you're in work but on low pay, you can apply for Working Tax Credit to top up your earnings. You can claim this whether you're employed or self-employed.

How much you get depends on whether you've got children, your circumstances and how much you earn.
If you have children

If you've got children, you can claim Working Tax Credit if you're 16 or over and you work at least 16 hours a week.

Your Working Tax Credit will be worked out with your Child Tax Credit.


If you don’t have children

If you haven't got children, you can claim Working Tax Credit if:

* you're 25 or over and you work at least 30 hours a week
* you're 16 or over, you work at least 16 hours a week and you have a disability that makes it harder for you to get work and you are or have been receiving a qualifying disability benefit
* you or your partner or civil partner are 50 or over, work at least 16 hours a week and recently returned to work after claiming benefit

lady_fuschia

That's ridiculous! Why would someone over 25 need money more than someone under 25? Doesn't make sense.

Anyway- rather than rant- does it make a difference if my partner is over 25 (assuming our income is in the right bracket obviously)? If not, is there anything that I can claim- we are both on low incomes, and I study part time, we struggle to make ends meet and it would be really useful if there was some help we were entitled to.

No wonder people have kids so young!

missk_ensington

To claim anything I think you'd need to have a seriously low income- between you and your partner I think you need to earn undr £9,000 a year between you, or something like that.

What are you studying towards? There are many avenues for funding as a student, I get £12,000 a year in loans and grants just for studying. I've been tempted to leave my degree at times, but I can't afford to! Do you work also?

Without knowing your precise situation its hard to say, need to know what you earn and what you study, what your partners earns. You should post a SOA (Statement of Affairs- income/expenditure) if you want people to tell you what you are entitled to x

lady_fuschia

Probably not then- I earn just under £14000 and my partner's on about £12000 (though it fluctuates as he's paid by the hour)but we are really struggling- lately has got a lot worse as OH's sciatica has started playing up so he's having to fork out for buses and taxis for the 5 miles he used to cycle to and from work. I'm doing an MA course, so as far as I can tell I'm not entitled to any help for that, which is why I work full-time- I originally intended to take part-time work, but can't afford not to work full time.
I'm sure we're probably not entitled to anything, but I honestly don't really know what's out there and don't want to miss out if we could be claiming help. It seems as if a lot of people we know who are a lot better off than us seem to be claiming various benefits and I can't understand why we can't seem to get any help at all!

missk_ensington

You wouldn't even get tax credits if it was just you on that income. Thats regarded as a reasonably high income! Between you youve got around £26,000 household income. If you're struggling financially you need to post a SOA and see if people can help because you should be able to manage on that amount with no kids x

missk_ensington

Im in my first year of a degree course and I get money through Student Finance, although I'm not sure how this changes when you get to postgrad. Do you get offered a student loan when you do MA? There's also the Access To Learning fund at your university, which I think you've a pretty good chance of being given a grant (up to £3,000 a year I think it is- non repayable)

I think the general concencus is that you've chosen to get a higher level of education that a normal degree and you have to fund it. Is your partner also studying?

I';ve never heard of his condition, but it may warrant money from DLA?

Again, post an SOA because we need to see where this £26,000 is going- Have a look on Debt-free-wannabe where you can see other people's SOA's and the advice they've received

lady_fuschia

OK here goes:
SOA (monthly)
My income (after tax and pension deduction): £770
OH income: Anywhere between £650 and £800

Rent: £550
Council Tax: £200
Electricity: £65
Water: £25
Phone/Internet: £21
Mobile: £5
Food: £80
Travel: £240ish, depending on shifts
Loan Repayment (Bank loan taken to pay for MA): £89
Old Storecard repayment: £60 (will be paid off end of June)
Repayment of Student account overdraft: £20
TV License: £11
Regular doctor's prescription (warfarin and painkillers) £13
Cigarettes/ tobacco: About £40 (as far as I know, I'm not the one who smokes it)

I've never heard of the access to learning fund, how do I find out more? Any websites? Because its an Arts based course (Creative Writing) I don't think its really considered for these things because it doesn't really improve job prospects.
Not sure about the DLA, I wouldn't have thought so, Sciatica is painful (its when a slipped disk in the lower back causes muscles to swell trapping the sciatic nerve in the lower back) but I don't think it's considered to be a disability.

missk_ensington

ALF covers all courses, you can Google it but it should be listed on your uni's website somewhere near Student Support Services. You can call your Student Support and talk to someone also.

My initial thought, don't you get a 25% reduction on your council tax? You're a full time student so you're exempt, no?

Medical expenses- you need to get a season ticket. A one off fee that covers you for as many prescriptions as you need. Think its about £60 but don't quote me on that. I thik you buy it at post office, but there are leaflets about it at your docs.


Travel- I presume you've looked into weekly/monthly/yearly bus/tube/train tickets??

I'd also opt out of the work pension if you can, just for a short time until you've finished your MA.

If you're doing Creative Writing why not enter as many competitions as possible? I do English Literature, but for my first year doing Creative Writing as a minor and we get emailed every week loads of local/national competitions. I won £50 in a regional poetry competition and my poem was crap, but apparently the other entries couldn't even mamage to submit following the guidelines so were penalised!

missk_ensington

PS. you get DLA if a condition affects your day to day life, and/or causes you added financial expense (for carers, transport, medication) I have a heart complaint and get £232 a month DLA but that doesn't mean I can't walk- disabilities aren't just about mobility. YOu can get it for a whole load of things, the key is IT HAS THE AFFECT YOUR DAY TO DAY LIFE. My friend had kidney failure, nearly died and was refsued DLA because it didn't affect her daily life!