New working Tax hours advice needed

tomg1

Hi

WP Unemployability supplement & new working Tax credit rules advice needed

I received a letter today informing me that from 6th April 2012 I/we need to be working a minimum of 24 hours a week with one of us working at least 16 hours a week to receive working tax credit after the above date.

The problem is I’m disabled and unable to work and receive Unemployability supplement as part of my War Disablement Pension. And for my wife to get 24 hours or more the wife will need to leave a good job as her employer is unable to increase her hours.

Below is taken from HMRC

“If one of you is ill, an inpatient in hospital or in prison
You'll still qualify for Working Tax Credit if one of you works 16 hours or more, and the other is:
· getting certain benefits due to ill health - for example, contribution-based Employment and Support Allowance, or Disability Living Allowance
· an inpatient in hospital
· in prison - serving a custodial sentence, or remanded in custody awaiting trial or sentence”

As you can see I need to be receiving DLA for us to still qualify for working tax credit but I don’t .as I get WP Unemployability supplement. I phoned HMRC and the people I spoke to today had only the information posted above as they have very little information about this new working hours rules for Working Tax Credits.

As you might imagine this is a bit of a blow and was wondering if anyone has a similar WP Unemployability supplement situation and found a solution to the new working Tax credit rules.

Or if you have any advice to what I should do

Thanks
Tom

Icequeen99

The letter you have received says that the 24 hr rule doesn't apply if you get certain benefits due to ill health. The actual exclusion is related to whether you are 'incapacitated' or not.

The two benefits listed (ESA and DLA) are just examples.

The full list of benefits for the current definition of incapacitated in the childcare element is here http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/manuals/tcmanual/TCM0112160.htm

Although it won't be confirmed for amonth or two, it is likely the same list will be used for incapacitated in relation to the 24 hours.

IQ

tomg1

Thanks for the information

Hopefully that list will be used for the new 24 hour WT credit

Thanks again
Tom

BigAunty

Remember, it's not the case that the WTC claimant has to work in a single role to qualify for their hours threshold. They are free to secure another position on top of the existing one. So it's not necessarily the case that a person has to resign from their part time job to find one with the 'right' number of hours.

As it happens, and as previously answered, there is no change to your household's hours threshold.