working less hours - how does this affect my tax credit

savingsp

Both me and my husband work, he works full time 3 days a week and i work 5 mornings. I have asked my boss if i could work 3 full days instead ( but he said no as i work in a school he needed me to cover maths and english which is in the mornings). He said he would re consider each year as the school entrys change but he doesnt think this is likely.

My dad recentlly had a heart attack and i had to take a week off to help run my mum backwards and forwards to the hospital.

........to cut a long story short

i would like to drop a day (3hrs) but this will bring my hours worked each week to 14hrs. (so i have time to run her around during the day as i ahve two children aged 8 and 10)

Will this drop in hours affect mine and my husbands tax credit , will we recieve less or more.

Thanks

Spendless

How are you going to drop a day when your boss has said you're needed each morning?

Can't your husband take over some of the running around or household chores on the 2 days he isn't at work?

I understand it's hard. I work 30 hours over 5 days, have a husband working long f-time hours away o/n every week, a FIL with a stroke a MIL with mobility problems, my mum having an op on her spine tomorrow and an 87yo Nan all of whom we help out and have kids similar ages to you aged 8 and 11. I use a breakfast club to gain some time in a morning to straighten up and fit things in when they are out of the way at cubs/scouts/church groups.

Lady_gaga

Spendless wrote: »

How are you going to drop a day when your boss has said you're needed each morning?

Can't your husband take over some of the running around or household chores on the 2 days he isn't at work?

I understand it's hard. I work 30 hours over 5 days, have a husband working long f-time hours away o/n every week, a FIL with a stroke a MIL with mobility problems, my mum having an op on her spine tomorrow and an 87yo Nan all of whom we help out and have kids similar ages to you aged 8 and 11. I use a breakfast club to gain some time in a morning to straighten up and fit things in when they are out of the way at cubs/scouts/church groups.

It looks like the hubby only works 3 days a week so there are the 4 other days he could maybe help out.
I can't see how you can drop your hours OP if your boss has already saud no?

Spendless

Lady_gaga wrote: »

It looks like the hubby only works 3 days a week so there are the 4 other days he could maybe help out.
I can't see how you can drop your hours OP if your boss has already saud no?

Yes, I was meaning from a 5 day working week. Initially I put only working 3 days, but then I saw these are f-time hours and edited in as I can see that the husband will be tired, but there's still areas where running round after family can be fitted in.

There's a calculator where you can put details in to work out tax credits. Think it's called something like turntous. But is cutting hours when tax credits have been cut and may be cut further really a good idea?

bestpud

You won't lose the 30 hour element as your OH would still be working full time.

In theory, your tax credits would rise a little, but it probably wouldn't be enough to warrant a change of your award this year. If you did lower your income, you'd lose the income disregard and would have an overpayment if you went over your new estimate. Plus, your earnings up until now may mean you would not have an increase this year anyway.

If you held on until April, you'd probably receive a lump sum as you'd have earned less this year than last. This is assuming your award is based on your actual income from last year.

Then your payments would increase slightly.

Go to turn2us and put in the new income as though you've been earning that all year - that will tell you how much your award would be from April.