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29 hours and 40 minutes tax credit

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Comments

  • Freddie_Mercury
    Freddie_Mercury Posts: 47 Forumite
    edited 22 April 2011 at 11:47AM
    Thanks everyone who added something constructive.
    I was unaware NI contributions worked that way. I was a self employed skilled tradesman for many years and due to economic circumstances work became very hard to find so we decided it made more sense for my wife to stay in work, as her work was guaranteed.
    Due to two bereavements in a short space of time my wife is finding it very hard to cope thus she has decided to drop a day for the sake of her health.
    I only discovered yesterday we would lose out on £700 a year because my wife was working slightly less than 30 hours.
    We have a mortgage and two young children to support so I don't see the problem in asking how the tax credit system works in regard to rounding up hours.
    To all those who are critical of our course of action, perhaps a money saving board isn't the forum for you.
    I should add, in order for me to work part time at my trade I would need to spend a small fortune on insurance and at the moment the work just isn't out there and I refuse to work without insurance or for cash in hand.
  • Note: When you have worked out your regular hours please round down to the nearest hour. Please see the following examples

    If you have worked 29 hours 30 minutes, you must enter 29 hours

    If you have worked 27 hours 46 minutes, you must enter 27 hours

    If you have worked 30 hours 15 minutes, you must enter 30 hours

    This is from the tax credit site. It seems you have to round down to the nearest hour which hardly seems fair.

    Thanks again everyone who has tried to help.
  • pipscot
    pipscot Posts: 353 Forumite
    Note: When you have worked out your regular hours please round down to the nearest hour. Please see the following examples

    If you have worked 29 hours 30 minutes, you must enter 29 hours

    If you have worked 27 hours 46 minutes, you must enter 27 hours

    If you have worked 30 hours 15 minutes, you must enter 30 hours

    This is from the tax credit site. It seems you have to round down to the nearest hour which hardly seems fair.

    Thanks again everyone who has tried to help.

    This is interesting to find out about! - hope you manage to find a solution that works for you!:)
  • chloebug
    chloebug Posts: 31 Forumite
    I work for the civil service and have recently dropped my hours to 30 so don't understand why the OP's partner could not have done the same. The reason that civil service/local authority hours seem to be odd eg 7.24 is because full time is 37hrs and when divided over 5 days that gives an average of 7hrs24m. I always thought it a strange amount but it is because core office hours usually 8.30-5 mon-thur (7.5hrs each) and 8.30-4.30 fri (7hrs)=37hrs. The OP's wife should find it easy to make up the extra 20minutes (short lunch etc). Having dropped to 30hrs I still easily work 35 a week (no overtime pay though unfortunately)
  • nannytone_2
    nannytone_2 Posts: 12,996 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    my daughter also works in the civil service and wnted to 'drop' a day. she was offered the same 29 hours and 40 minutes.

    i think it depends where in the civil service you work. my daughter works in JC+

    in the 6 months since she dropped her hours, she has been asked, almost weekly, to work the 5th day.
    she doesnt get paid overtime, but the hours add onto her flexi time.
    she now has 7 weeks holiday to take by September ( when her annual leave year starts)
  • chloebug wrote: »
    I work for the civil service and have recently dropped my hours to 30 so don't understand why the OP's partner could not have done the same. The reason that civil service/local authority hours seem to be odd eg 7.24 is because full time is 37hrs and when divided over 5 days that gives an average of 7hrs24m. I always thought it a strange amount but it is because core office hours usually 8.30-5 mon-thur (7.5hrs each) and 8.30-4.30 fri (7hrs)=37hrs. The OP's wife should find it easy to make up the extra 20minutes (short lunch etc). Having dropped to 30hrs I still easily work 35 a week (no overtime pay though unfortunately)

    My wife is under the impression you can't work over your core hours as extra hours are simply added to your flexi time. She's looking into it today. Thanks.
  • nannytone wrote: »
    my daughter also works in the civil service and wnted to 'drop' a day. she was offered the same 29 hours and 40 minutes.

    i think it depends where in the civil service you work. my daughter works in JC+

    in the 6 months since she dropped her hours, she has been asked, almost weekly, to work the 5th day.
    she doesnt get paid overtime, but the hours add onto her flexi time.
    she now has 7 weeks holiday to take by September ( when her annual leave year starts)

    It may well depend on where you work. I suspect this is how it will work with my wife.
  • nannytone wrote: »
    my daughter also works in the civil service and wnted to 'drop' a day. she was offered the same 29 hours and 40 minutes.

    i think it depends where in the civil service you work. my daughter works in JC+

    in the 6 months since she dropped her hours, she has been asked, almost weekly, to work the 5th day.
    she doesnt get paid overtime, but the hours add onto her flexi time.
    she now has 7 weeks holiday to take by September ( when her annual leave year starts)

    My wife has just spoken to human resources and it turns out you can specify the amount of hours you wish to work rather than days.
    This means she can work 30 hours a week and we will qualify for working tax credit. Problem sorted.

    Thanks again everyone.
  • pipscot
    pipscot Posts: 353 Forumite
    edited 22 April 2011 at 6:40PM
    My wife has just spoken to human resources and it turns out you can specify the amount of hours you wish to work rather than days.
    This means she can work 30 hours a week and we will qualify for working tax credit. Problem sorted.

    Thanks again everyone.
    Fantastic news for you!!
  • MissMoneypenny
    MissMoneypenny Posts: 5,324 Forumite

    We have a mortgage and two young children to support so I don't see the problem in asking how the tax credit system works in regard to rounding up hours.
    To all those who are critical of our course of action, perhaps a money saving board isn't the forum for you.

    When you ask for welfare payments like tax credits from the government, you do realise that this money comes from people who work, don't you?

    These people are also on a money saving site as they not only have to pay for their own families, but they also pay high taxes to support those who don't.
    RENTING? Have you checked to see that your landlord has permission from their mortgage lender to rent the property? If not, you could be thrown out with very little notice.
    Read the sticky on the House Buying, Renting & Selling board.


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