Working 30hrs on minimum wage and WTC due - £0 ??

jasper27

Help please...

I've just started a job, having been on JSA for the last year and I'm working 70hrs a fortnight ( works out at 35hrs a week ) on a minimum wage of £6.08 p/h.

I don't have any other income, I'm single and my adult son lives with me, he is on ESA.

I received £2958.58 in taxable benefits for 2011/2012... so why have I just received a letter from HMRC saying ..

'thanks for telling us about your recent changes in circumstances, as a result of this you are no longer entitled to tax credits...
Your tax credit award for this period is £0.00'

I haven't had any tax credits for years, but thought due to my working hours/wage ( I get about £8,000 pa ) that I would be entitled to WTC.

I've tried ringing them, but only get automated messages saying I have to wait at least 4-8wks.

Please can anyone help to explain this, I'm relying on WTC as I can't survive on £8,000 p/a:sad:

Thank you

princessdon

You should get some WTC - your wages plus your benefits to date are approx £10K by March. I work it out you should get around £1400 per year.

Hopefully others more knowledegeable in Tax Credits will be along soon - have you given them a ring?

chocdonuty

Did you send of your renewal (if you got one) in time, the cut off is 31st july so you may have missed it.
HMRC have local offices, try and pop into one of those if the call centre is impossible to get through or if there isn't one there maybe a drop in advice service is available? My local council have one at least once a week, they can't process anything but are helpful with advice ect and give out/take in forms ect,
Failing that a Citizens Advice office may be able to help.
The only thing I could think of is they read your income as £70 a week, not fortnightly, but that should be on your certificate sent with or without the letter you got explaining their workings out.

jasper27

princessdon wrote: »

You should get some WTC - your wages plus your benefits to date are approx £10K by March. I work it out you should get around £1400 per year.

Hopefully others more knowledegeable in Tax Credits will be along soon - have you given them a ring?

Thanks for your reply princessdon.. I've tried ringing 3 times this morning and each time, I just get automated messages saying claims are taking between 4-8 weeks.. I can't actually get to talk to anyone :sad:

I have used the online calculator and according to that I should be entitled to approx £2710.. although I didn't take that as gospel.

When I rang them originally with all my details, I was told it was likely I would be entitled and coud get approx £50-£60 per week..

It's frustrating as I really can't survive on £8000 :sad:

Does anyone know a number I can ring to actually speak to a person? lol

jasper27

chocdonuty wrote: »

Did you send of your renewal (if you got one) in time, the cut off is 31st july so you may have missed it.
HMRC have local offices, try and pop into one of those if the call centre is impossible to get through or if there isn't one there maybe a drop in advice service is available? My local council have one at least once a week, they can't process anything but are helpful with advice ect and give out/take in forms ect,
Failing that a Citizens Advice office may be able to help.
The only thing I could think of is they read your income as £70 a week, not fortnightly, but that should be on your certificate sent with or without the letter you got explaining their workings out.

Hi chocdonuty, thanks for your reply...
I got my claim in on time, originally ringing them up in the middle of June, claiming over the phone, as much as possible, then having to wait for DWP to send my info ( which I had to request twice!) eventually receiving it just in time to give to the HMRC ( again over the phone ) so yes it was submitted on time.

My working hours are 70 a fortnight, not paid £70, I think that was made clear on the application..

Also, I've just remembered, they told me I didn't have to send the renewal form back as I had given all the information over the phone.

I will ring my council and see if they have an HMRC drop in:)

skintandscared_2

Does your son make any contribution to the household income though, from his ESA? Was that partly counted in your "income" and that's what affected your tax credits?

PasturesNew

35 hours, 52 weeks, £6.19/hour = £11,265/year (not £8k).
£6.19 will be the rate from October that is ... it's £11,065 at £6.08

jasper27

skintandscared wrote: »

Does your son make any contribution to the household income though, from his ESA? Was that partly counted in your "income" and that's what affected your tax credits?

Hi skintandscared ( sounds like me..lol )
thanks for your reply,

My son pays towards the bills, and buys his own food, but that's not deducted from his ESA.

jasper27

PasturesNew wrote: »

35 hours, 52 weeks, £6.19/hour = £11,265/year (not £8k).
£6.19 will be the rate from October that is ... it's £11,065 at £6.08

Thanks PasturesNew, I originally was only going to get £8k

my actual rate is

70 hours a fortnight x 52weeks @ £6.08/hour = £11,065.

Even on that calculation, surely I should be entitled to WTC?:o

Anubis_2

If you have been on JSA for 12 months you should also be entitled to a Job Grant http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/moneytaxandbenefits/benefitstaxcreditsandothersupport/employedorlookingforwork/dg_10013908

jasper27

UPDATE:

Finally got through to a lovely lass on the Tax Credits helpline and basically...

The advisor I spoke to previously has 'updated a ceased claim' which he shouldn't have done, with the result of not being entitled to WTC...

This was the wrong course of action for my claim and I am indeed entitled to WTC after all!

She is sending me a new claim pack and when I send it back I have to include a letter stating that I called them on the 26th July and that I want my WTC backdated to 28 June as thats when I started work!

Result! It just goes to show, you should always check up on your decisions if you have any doubt!

Thanks for your help MSE'ers :happy:

Anubis- I did get a Job Grant of £100 which went to pay off some debt, so didn't even last me an hour..lol