Free School meals - Wife has Child Tax Credits only but Husband gets Working Tax Crds

Herb

Hi

I have a friend who has been getting free school meals with an application in her name only.

She got it because she is self employed in a partnership with her husband and the partnership is making a loss.

The application was in her name and she showed the council her Child Tax Credit entitlement.

This year the council noticed that her husband gets Working Tax Credit which is paid to her husbands bank account. In theory she does not have access to this money.

So the Tax Credit award letter has both names;
Husband's Name : Working Tax Credits
Wife's name: Child tax Credit
Both with zero income shown.

Does anyone know if she was lucky the first year, or if she is entitled to the FSM as the application is in her name only?

Thanks

spacey2012

They are changing things, they will be soon calculating hours worked, for which WTC is at least 30 working out 30x minimum wage HR and basing it on that.
If you make a loss, or dont make minimum wage tough.

HappyMJ

spacey2012 wrote: »

They are changing things, they will be soon calculating hours worked, for which WTC is at least 30 working out 30x minimum wage HR and basing it on that.
If you make a loss, or dont make minimum wage tough.

...or.... the couple claiming what will be the full rate of universal credit will be treated as being unemployed. It isn't tough...it'll just be that they have to make an effort to look for better paid work or expand the business to increase income to continue to claim the maximum level of benefits.

coffeelover65

Whether she has access to the money or not is irrelevant, WTC is in payment and therefore there is no entitlement to free school meals.

Horseunderwater

The council will note the whole income of the entire house - it matters not whose name it is in. WTC is normally paid to the bloke, but not always. So that is what they base their award for housing benefit on where applicable and also for council tax benefit. They need to claim as a couple as that is what they are. They may even get more allowance for doing so. It also depends on how many children they have living with them under 16 or if over 16 if they are still in non advanced further education. So it's not as simple as was she lucky.

princessdon

She wasn't entitled to claim fsm as the household gets Wtc.

miduck

Horseunderwater wrote: »

WTC is normally paid to the bloke, but not always.

WTC is paid to whomever completes the "You" column of the application form, the sex of the claimant is irrelevant!

paddedjohn

I wonder how much councils could save if this stupid benefit was stopped alltogether.

pink_princess

paddedjohn wrote: »

I wonder how much councils could save if this stupid benefit was stopped alltogether.

Which benefit is stupid of the 3 named?

paddedjohn

pink_princess wrote: »

Which benefit is stupid of the 3 named?

Well, mainly the free school meals.

As far as i know councils dont pay tax credits, not sure that councils will benefit if free school meals are axed tbh but the tax payer surely will

Horseunderwater

miduck wrote: »

WTC is paid to whomever completes the "You" column of the application form, the sex of the claimant is irrelevant!

As I am the one who completed my Tax credit application form when it was first done years back - that would make me the "you" as you put it. Our WTC got sent to my OH, but then that would be because he was the one doing the necessary hours to qualify I guess! And the reason I said mainly paid to men is simply because historically men were the ones doing the majority of working hours, so would naturally be the ones who should get the WTC. I realise that these days many women are the ones who go out and do the main earner roles as they can sometimes get better pay and hours and sometimes the partner whoever they are can work part time hours or simply stay home and be a house husband. My OH did do that for a while, but that is years back and before TC's were invented. And as we have only recently finally paid back an overpayment, it is only now that we qualify to receive the monies once more.