Child Tax Credits HELP Please!

Shy_2

I have 2 children aged 4 years and 21 months.

I am currently receiving Income Support also.

Therefore, like my friend who is in the exact same position as me (apart from the slight difference in age of our children) I would expect to receive the same amount and the highest rate of child tax credit.

Now my friend receives around £96 a week and I just went onto the online tax credits calculator which also confirmed (although only estimated) I should receive £96.32 per week. However, I only receive £81 per week.

I just called the Tax Credits helpline and was told by a man 'it is what it is and as it stands that all your entitled too'.

I just don't understand why I am receiving less and why. Does anybody know if what I am receiving is correct?

Thanks

AnxiousMum

If your friend has a child that is under 12 months of age, she would be receiving more for that child than when the child turns one year old.

You say the age is the only difference....

EDIT: Sorry just noticed you mention the online calculator confirmed your amount as the higher amount as well. Have a look at your last awards notice - are you paying off any overpayment from previous years?

LilacPixie

plus the weekly amounts presume that you receive the exact same amount each week over the full year. Have you always received only £86 and not had any changes in circumstances at all

DX2

Do you have an overpayment from a previous year?

Shy_2

My friends children are slightly older than mine. Hers is 6years and 2 years.

I started to receive Income Support from October 2008 as I was on maternity leave for a year and only 6 months is paid and unpaid for the other 6 months so I needed an income for the rest of the 6 months, except I decided not to go back to work and so I stayed on Income Support.

Also when I was working I still received the highest amount as I was on a low income and working part time. I was working 14 hours a week on £4.80 and so as you can imagine I didn't get much difference from what Income Support give anyway.

I am confused as I have been on Income Support for more than a year now and I only realised that my friend receives more than me as she needed me to write a letter for her and I had to state her income. I then checked it with the online tax credits calculator which states I should be receiving the same!

Then when I called the helpline I am not given a reason as to WHY I am receiving less

Caz3121

You will need to dig out your award letter and see what figures they have on there. As tax credits are based on last years income - it may be that they have entered a different amount to to the one you used in entitledto

Shy_2

Ok I have got my award letters. 06/04/2008 - 05/04/2009 I was entitled too £5225.60 for the year. (Remember this includes the baby element as my second child was born March 08)

For 06/04/2009 - 05/04/2010 I should get 5022.20 for the year. To me this works out as £96.58 for the week!

cheepskate_2

There could be loads of reasons why you get less.
I used to work in this dep and would get fed up of the amount of people phoning and insisting that they were due xyz cos that was either, A. what their friend got, b what the original tax credit award said, the list goes on.

Have you ever called the tax credits to update and got another award letter, or an extra payment or a bit more than normal for 1 week at any point? Did you get overpaid last year?

If your award letter states xyz then it would automatically pay that amount as it is all computerised. Unless there is another reason, which there will be as it is a computer and goes on what is given.

Shy_2

cheepskate wrote: »

There could be loads of reasons why you get less.
I used to work in this dep and would get fed up of the amount of people phoning and insisting that they were due xyz cos that was either, A. what their friend got, b what the original tax credit award said, the list goes on.

Have you ever called the tax credits to update and got another award letter, or an extra payment or a bit more than normal for 1 week at any point? Did you get overpaid last year?

If your award letter states xyz then it would automatically pay that amount as it is all computerised. Unless there is another reason, which there will be as it is a computer and goes on what is given.

If my friends circumstances are the exact same as mine, I do not see why we would not be entitled to the same amount. Like I said previously, the only difference was that her children are slightly older than mine.

I have not had to change anything as my circumstances have not changed for over a year and if I have been overpaid I have never received a letter about it and was not notified that I had when I called them up earlier. If I had been told I had been overpaid then I would certainly know that is the reason why I do not receive the same amount.

From my award lette,r I should get the same amount as my friend but what goes into my account is a different story. So I will call them tomorrow and say I have my award letter and I am not receiving what it says I should be.

LilacPixie

your award letter says you should receive X a year which I am presumming is the same as your friend. I am guessing you were either receiving weekly payments of a higher amount or you have had a one off payment at some point that has reduced all future payments for the year.

System

Check your bank statements to see what payments you were receiving earlier in the year before you sent in your annual declaration. You might have been on a higher rate at that point and then had your payments adjusted when your annual declaration was processed.