Partner working away - tax credits

luvfreebeez

Ok, so Ive trawled through prevous posts on information on this, got vague information, seen the ear-bashings the op has received for their situation. However,here goes...

so the partner works away for more than 8 weeks. I have been told I need to make a single claim from the 8 week point. I have told them that we have joint finances, have access to his income etc,etc,etc. But im still being told to make a single claim.

I do feel a bit uneasy about this. I do not want to claim if I am not entitled,and I understand that by making a claim, it puts me in a pretty privelaged position every time hes away for more than 8 weeks,by being able to claim as single
,but I am being told by HMRC that the guidelines state that this is what you must do. I haven't been asked how much he earns, whether hes still contributing.

it just seems to be a bit odd as to why you can make a single claim for this situation. Does anyone have any experience of this.

Dunroamin

luvfreebeez wrote: »

Ok, so Ive trawled through prevous posts on information on this, got vague information, seen the ear-bashings the op has received for their situation. However,here goes...

so the partner works away for more than 8 weeks. I have been told I need to make a single claim from the 8 week point. I have told them that we have joint finances, have access to his income etc,etc,etc. But im still being told to make a joint claim.

I do feel a bit uneasy about this. I do not want to claim if I am not entitled,and I understand that by making a claim, it puts me in a pretty privelaged position every time hes away for more than 8 weeks,by being able to claim as single
,but I am being told by HMRC that the guidelines state that this is what you must do. I haven't been asked how much he earns, whether hes still contributing.

it just seems to be a bit odd as to why you can make a single claim for this situation. Does anyone have any experience of this.

Did you mean to write this?

luvfreebeez

Thankyou, have edited that bit now.

skintandscared_2

But what actually changes when he is away? Surely the household income doesn't? He doesn't stop contributing to the bills, so surely a single claim of household income still includes HIS income, and is therefore at the same level as a joint claim?

luvfreebeez

skintandscared wrote: »

But what actually changes when he is away? Surely the household income doesn't? He doesn't stop contributing to the bills, so surely a single claim of household income still includes HIS income, and is therefore at the same level as a joint claim?

My point exactly....nothing changes, but hmrc said I must make the single claim if hes away for 8 weeks. Ive called hmrc many times to question this, and they just keep saying the same thing. It just seems weird.

bella2121

It doesn't matter even if he wasn't living at the address say for instance you split up for 6 months and he stayed on a friends sofa but still contributed to your household expenses then he would have to be put on a joint claim, can't see how him working away for 8 weeks at a time would be any different. This is what was I was told from HMRC. Hope this helps

skintandscared_2

luvfreebeez wrote: »

My point exactly....nothing changes, but hmrc said I must make the single claim if hes away for 8 weeks. Ive called hmrc many times to question this, and they just keep saying the same thing. It just seems weird.

Okay, I might be being a bit thick here, but are they doing it so they can give you less, i.e. there are less people in the house eating/using elec, etc... For example, if you claim, say, £30k income for a couple, you get £x in tax credits. But if you claim £30k as a single person, surely the tax credits are less? Because £30k goes a lot further for one person than it does two! Does that make sense? I can't see HMRC encouraging people to claim MORE LOL.

luvfreebeez

This is what the hmrc person on the phone told me to refer to....

Marie and Dave are living together. Dave has started work as a coach driver and drives abroad, taking groups on holiday to Europe. Dave can be away for up to two weeks at a time, but he usually returns to Marie's house when he's not working. Marie and Dave should make a joint claim.
If Dave is ever away from the UK for more than eight weeks, their joint claim will end. They should tell the Tax Credit Office straight away if this happens. Marie will then be able to make a single claim - if she still qualifies - until Dave is back in the UK.

skintandscared_2

luvfreebeez wrote: »

This is what the hmrc person on the phone told me to refer to....

Marie and Dave are living together. Dave has started work as a coach driver and drives abroad, taking groups on holiday to Europe. Dave can be away for up to two weeks at a time, but he usually returns to Marie's house when he's not working. Marie and Dave should make a joint claim.
If Dave is ever away from the UK for more than eight weeks, their joint claim will end. They should tell the Tax Credit Office straight away if this happens. Marie will then be able to make a single claim - if she still qualifies - until Dave is back in the UK.

But are they expecting Dave to still be contributing to the UK household while he's away? Making a single claim based on YOUR income would be fine. But when you make your claim, if you OH is still contributing to the household you will include that income. So your "single" income will be more generous, possibly meaning you're then not entitled to what you would have been had it been a joint claim??

luvfreebeez

I have no idea. That's why I was looking for a definitive answer. I have told hmrc that our finances are linked and that I have access to his income. If he is away, and I do a single claim, then apparently his income bears no relevance, it would only matter if I was to do a joint claim. Only ive been told the joint claim must end after 8 weeks of him being away. Swings and roundabouts. I neither can understand why it works this way, and like I said, if im entitled, then surely I shoull go ahead and claim. To be honest tho,it doesn't sit quite right, I know this sounds ungrateful,some people might think stupid even, but I hate the way tax credits work when it comes to the grey areas. Will probably leave the taxcredits system altogether, no doubt thatll be a headache in itself!!

Spendless

Yes, an acquaintance of mine was told exactly the same thing. Her husband frequently works away in Afghanistan (not in the forces). She couldn't get her head round it either, she was still married, they still had the same amount of children together, she still had the same employment status for herself, but she was told she had to change her claim. No idea why this is the case.