Can anyone help??

Phil_rich

Good afternoon,


I was wandering if anyone would be able to help me out. I am currently looking to find out what benefits i would be entitled to and i cant seem to find out.

Basically, i am earning £11500 gross per annum (27.5 hours per week) and i am am renting a flat for £340pcm. I live with my partner and she works part time earings roughly £4000 per annum. (she doesnt pay tax as shes at college)

Now she is pregnant and the baby is due in august so she will be giving up work, so our joint income will be my £11500.

What i was wandering is what sort of child tax credit, working tax credit or anything else we would be entitled to, as the website i have tried all give very conflicting results, and i dont know if they calculate based on what you are earning or have done over the last year?!

If you can help it would be a great help, if not then no worries.

Thanks for your time,

Phil

Fran

If the baby is due in August, Child Tax Credit will be worked out on your earnings from the tax year 2004-5. You should also get some Working Tax Credit. If you had joint hours per week of 30 or over you would get extra for that. You will get Child Benefit. You could apply for Council Tax Benefit and also Housing Benefit if in rented accommodation. Your partner should make sure she is getting any maternity allowance she might be due.

Info on benefits - Citizens Advice Website. See also "useful links" under "FAQ's" which is a sticky at the top of this board.

Trow

Also - once you qualify for WTC and CTC you may be entitled to claim a sure start maternity grant, depending on how much you get - I would also suggest the Citizens Advice Bureau as a great starting point for information and advice.

irs101

Phil

Once your baby is born you will get maximum CTC (because of your income level) plus an additional baby element of £545. So in total you should get just over £2,780 (based on 05/06 rates).

You will also get WTC, probably around £800-900. Fran's right, if you or your partner could work another 2.5 hours a week you would get the 30 hour element, which would be another £660.

It's also worth baring in mind that you will be eligible for the full benefit of the childcare element. So you will get 70% of any eligible childcare costs paid for through tax credits.
Finally, if you increase your hours to 30 per week and are aged 25 or over, you may be eligible for WTC anyway from April. Although your current income means that your provisional award will be zero, when your income turns out to be lower next year than this, they will backdate for the full year. But you must apply in April as a childless couple & then report a change of circumstance when your baby is born (in order to get the CTC).

irs

Midas

Don't forget also that your new baby will qualify for at least £250 from the government to start its Child Trust Fund, sounds like you'll probably get the full £500.

See Martin's article here...

(Early) Congratulations by the way.

Phil_rich

Thanks for your help everyone. I do seem to have made a typing error tho, as i actually work 37.5 hours per week.

Thanks once again.