Healthy start vouchers eligibility

aless02

I'm usually fairly au fait with entitlement and whatnot but the Healthy Start website is quite unclear and their advisors seem a bit clueless. Our latest tax credits award no longer has Working Tax Credit (i think we had it briefly last year) and our 2013-14 household income (from my husband's wages) is well under their £16190 threshold at £12k, so I thought great, we're finally eligible.

Now they are saying because I don't claim unemployment or similar benefits, we still aren't entitled. I don't claim JSA or anything, no, as i was made redundant while on maternity leave and haven't decided to return to work. I don't understand, as I thought our income would bring us under the entitlement umbrella.

They are also claiming not have details of my youngest even though I only sent off the form 3 weeks ago but I guess that's a separate issue/battle!!

shedboy94

I don't understand why you aren't receiving WTC on that income unless there is less than 24hpw being worked. On that income you should get WTC, but you wouldn't get Healthy Start vouchers when eligible for WTC

Pedent

I'm speculating here, but...

I think that there are two ways to get CTC but not WTC: you can be eligible for both, but have all of your WTC tapered away due to your income, or you can be ineligible for WTC but eligible for CTC.

It sounds as though you're in the first category.

It may be that when they say that you need to get CTC but not WTC to be eligible for the vouchers, they mean that you have to be in the second category.

shedboy94

Pedent wrote: »

I'm speculating here, but...

I think that there are two ways to get CTC but not WTC: you can be eligible for both, but have all of your WTC tapered away due to your income, or you can be ineligible for WTC but eligible for CTC.

It sounds as though you're in the first category.

It may be that when they say that you need to get CTC but not WTC to be eligible for the vouchers, they mean that you have to be in the second category.

It wouldn't be tapered away at £12000

aless02

It is tapered to 0 on the award notice. I don't know why or how as my husband works 40 hrs/wk and I do not work. I think it might be because of the £2.5k disregard as our household income was quite a bit higher last year.

I fear Pedant might be right...what the guidance should say is 'receiving Child Tax Credit but not eligible for Working Tax Credit and household income under £16,190'...not the other way.

I guess we'll see what they say after their 'update' next week, but I don't hold my breath.

shedboy94

aless02 wrote: »

It is tapered to 0 on the award notice. I don't know why or how as my husband works 40 hrs/wk and I do not work. I think it might be because of the £2.5k disregard as our household income was quite a bit higher last year.

I fear Pedant might be right...what the guidance should say is 'receiving Child Tax Credit but not eligible for Working Tax Credit and household income under £16,190'...not the other way.

I guess we'll see what they say after their 'update' next week, but I don't hold my breath.

Something doesn't sound right.....are you sure that the income held is £12000, because even taking into a/c the disregard, the most that would be taken into a/c when calculating the award would be £14500

Spendless

I had a look and the wording is similar to the ones that qualify you for free school meals. You have to be working hours under what would qualify you to working tax credits as well as the salary mentioned. In your case your OH is working enough hours to get WTC so you don't qualify.

Cate1976

Here's the link to to the page you can use to check if you're entitled to Healthy Start vouchers.

http://www.healthystart.nhs.uk/healthy-start-vouchers/do-i-qualify/

Looking at it, I think you should be entitled due to being on CTC and income in 2013/14 being below the limit. Definitely get the decision looked at again.