Help needed! - what are we entitled to?

Mrs_Creffers

Hi there,
Myself and husband have recently had a change of circumstance and are very confused as to what we are entitled to. If anyone can help we would be very greateful.
Basiclly we have a 1 year old son, i work 22 hours a week with a salery of £10,000 before tax, and my husband had an income of £25,000 also before.
We recieved Child benifit and approx £40 per month tax credits. These were the only benifits we recieved at this time but now my husband has lost his job so we currently only have my income.
He was trying to set up his own buisness (electrician) and the company he worked for found out asked him to leave but said they would continue to use him on self employed basis and have not, and now he has had to stop the buisness as we have no more money to put into it.
So we have cotacted tax credits office and they have amened our details but have said we are not entitled to any more as it goes on previous years earnings, but im sure that our income would mean we are entitled to working tax credit?
Also my husband has applied for JSA while he is looking for other work, but his previous employer has said he left by choice so we have been told he will not be entitled to JSA.
We privatly rent, and have put in a claim for housing benifit but heard nothing back yet.
We pay childcare for the days i work (3 days per week) and dont want to give up childs place at nursery as we are plannig for husband to be back in work ASAP.
We seem to have hit a brick wall, and it looks like we wont recive any benefits, but i would like to know if this is correct as it seems we sould be entitle to some help. If anyone can shed any light on this please help!

Many thanks, Mrs Creffers

lauzellen

You can be assessed on current year income but as so much of the year has already passed i doubt it would make much of a difference until april... from april you could ask for tax credits to be assessed on estimated current yr income but need to be working 24hrs between the couple with one working atleast 16hrs to be able to claim working tax credit. You also would not be entitled to help with childcare unless both were working 16hr or more a week.

Have you applied for housing benefit? You might get some help with that while your income is so low.

karenx

You can ask tax credits for it to be based on this years income but with your partner not working you will lose the childcare help if you currently get it.