Childcare Element of Tax Credit / Housing Benefit

[Deleted User]

I have the same argument with Housing Benefit everytime they do a reveiw and was wondering if anybody else has this problem and how you deal with it. I'm a single Mum working part time and I get just under half my rent paid by HB. My son attends After School Club 2 days per week (I jobshare so work 2.5 days) during the School holidays he also attends the club 2 full days, so for Tax Credits I work out my childcare like this:

39 Termtime weeks x £12 per week = £468
9 Holiday weeks x £40 per week = £360
(4 remaining weeks I take annual leave so no childcare costs and grandparent or friend helps with half days when they can)

so annual cost per week £15.77 rounded to nearest pound for Tax Credit means my average Childcare costs are £16 per week.

Housing benefit want to see proof of these costs so I give them the invoices but they obviously don't tally to £16 per week, so I always write explaining my calculation above...

I had an inspection in August and gave her July and August Invoices which of course were exceptionally high as £20 per full day, gave her September this was low as kids didn't return to School until 7th Sept and I took annual leave last week of hols so they just keep querying it and changing it.

I just think they should all use the same rules and go by my tax credit figure, if not then basically they are expecting me to use money I am given for childcare towards my rent, which makes the Governments whole policy of being able to claim 80% of your childcare costs a farce???

Does anyone else have these problems and how do you deal with it??

Many Thanks

[Deleted User]

Anyone? Surely I'm not the only person who has this problem? Xx