Advice on WTC and CTC please

gorgeousgeorge

Sis -in -law has just rung me up asking if i could get some advice for her as she knows I've had a lot of helpful advice on here.:)

She is working part-time (22 hours) and is in receipt of WTC and CTC and C/B for my niece who is 18 and at college ( well she was) Niece has now left college as she has been offered a job as a hairdressers apprentice earning i think just slightly over £100 a week.

Will S-I-L still be able to get any WTC/CTC? I said I dont think she can, but will be able to get more H/B. But I'm not sure, so thought i would ask on here instead.

S-I-L had already rung up Tax Credits last week to inform them that her circumstances were still the same, and now her daughter springs this on her.
I've told her to get on the phone to them and inform them of her change of circumstances and also to let H/B know as well.
All she wants to know is if she will be entitled to anything still?

Cheers Peeps

kerry13238

try entitledto.co.uk

themonkeybutler

'Fraid not. Unless she is disabled, which brings the needed hours per week down to 16. Time to increase her hours at work I think. Or adopt a child(!)

gorgeousgeorge

Ive just put in details on entitledto.......bloody hell, she is facing an enormous drop in her money, from having about £180 to live on after H/B is paid to just over half that :eek: and even if she increases her hours to 30 hours and gets WTC, she will have to pay more H/B so will end up with same amount just over £90 a week.

She is going to be devastated looks as if niece will have to give her some rent money each week to help her out, not that she will have much after paying for travelling everyday to work.

karenx

Yeah that sounds about correct, she wont be entitled to the CB and tax credits anymore.

gorgeousgeorge

S-I-L rung tax credits this morning to inform them of the change, they said that they couldnt access her details on the system, and they would be sending her for an appointment at our local tax office?.....any idea why they would do this?

dundeediva

I disagree, tax credits have a new security system in use and I reckon that there isn't enough information about her with HMRC and experian to verify her identity. If this is the case, she only needs to take her ID and she'll set up passwords for using over the phone in the future, not a big deal, just better security system helping to reduce fraud!

Tell her not to worry, it's seriously nothing to worry about xx

gorgeousgeorge

Cheers, yes her claim is totally genuine, she just wants to inform them that her daughter will be working, so she wont be able to be in claim of either tax credits anyway. She just couldnt understand it after she had rung up last week to inform them that her circumstances were the same, then had to ring them this morning to say that they were going to change ...

gorgeousgeorge

Update, S-I-L informed Tax Credits, and they carried on paying her for another couple of weeks....then they have just sent her a letter saying that they have overpaid her and she has to pay that money back :mad: Why when you stop a claim do they keep on paying you! The money she received went straight on an utility bill, and of course now with her income near enough halved, she cant afford to pay back it all in one go, She also informed the H/B of changes as well, and thought she would get more H/B paid..... but nope works out about the same. Even if she worked 30hours, she would have to pay more H/B and be left with roughly the same money that she is getting now....

I thought that WTC was help for people on low incomes, but this doesnt seem to be the case for her After working 22 hours and paying rent & C&T, she is probably left with about £90 pw..... £25 more than those who dont work, and have everything paid for them.... seems bloody crazy to me :mad:

Will she be able to get any help with prescriptions, dental treatment, glasses etc as she is on a low income?

Oh another thing is... she works at our local pharmacy, and is also working to be a dispenser, so when she isnt working she is doing loads of coursework, so cant even get a 2nd Job....

Is there anything else she could claim ?

Cheers

kingfisherblue

I don't know of anything else she can claim, but is she asking her daughter for any board? Her daughter's wages are sufficient to pay into the household (I'm assuming that she still lives at home with her mum).

karenx

Seems right about the HB, they will lower the applicable amount as there are no longer any children on the claim.
There isnt anything else she can claim, poss help with prescriptions. WTC is there for those on a low income but you must be working 30hours plus to recieve it if you dont have any children on your claim. There has to be limits somewhere otherwise everybody would work part time and claim WTC to top up their income.