30+hrs Working Lone Parents: Can you help me with your CTC rates please?

Elle00

Would anyone be kind enough to please share with me their CTC rates if they're in full-time employment? I'm in a pickle here.

When I rang on Monday I was told as an estimate I would receive around £10 - £15pw WTC, about 60% of my childcare costs and then a bit of CTC. My salary is £14,500 and I'm a lone parent to one 21m old (currently fast asleep, lol).

I checked my bank account online this morning and it seems in my first week I've received £11.18 WTC and £243 CTC. Erm, I don't think so... And that's on top of receiving an award notice this week to say I am only entitled to £46pw for the rest of the tax year! I don't think so on that score either.

My childcare costs are £147pw so 60% of this would be £88.20. And I thought the maximum CTC was c£46pw excluding the childcare element. Am I being thick about this or have I been overpaid?

Also, they paid CTC at my old IS rate (£46pw) on Monday and then this second payment came through on Friday. Maybe that was just what I was entitled to for last week but who the hell knows anymore.

I know it's a private matter for some but if anyone is willing to share their salary, childcare costs and TC award it really would be very greatly appreciated (citing WTC and CTC seperately if poss).

If I can see what people on similar incomes are getting I can have an idea of what I should be receiving. I just do not want to wind up getting silly payments for eight weeks only to have my payments reduced for the rest of the year. Let's be honest here, you have so little to live on (if you're in private rent rather than HA) that it's all too easy to spend the extra they give you and wind up in a terrible situation for the rest of the year because of it.

Oh and no-one suggested the entitledto calculator please - it's useless in my experience! Also note the TC computer system is down for the weekend according to the advisor I spoke with this morning.

lisa76

i must admit i find the entitledto website very very good, but here are my figures (as i've just received a new award notice this morning)

earnings £15423
wtc £33 per week
ctc £235

(based on £21 per week childcare costs)

hope this helps

Elle00

lisa76 wrote: »

i must admit i find the entitledto website very very good, but here are my figures (as i've just received a new award notice this morning)

earnings £15423
wtc £33 per week
ctc £235

(based on £21 per week childcare costs)

hope this helps

Is that £235 per week? For childcare costing just £21 per week? I'm even more confused now.

Thank you for your post though!

lisa76

god no - i wish! that's 235 + 33 per month

i don't understand how it works either to be honest.

i'll be stopping childcare costs at the end of july so i guess i'll lose some of these credits, and i've tried to work out how much but i can't!

Elle00

lisa76 wrote: »

god no - i wish! that's 235 + 33 per month

i don't understand how it works either to be honest.

i'll be stopping childcare costs at the end of july so i guess i'll lose some of these credits, and i've tried to work out how much but i can't!

So I'd reckon you're getting the £46pw CTC then about 40% - 50% of your childcare costs as the additional element.

In which case it really does look like I've been very much overpaid as I originally thought. The guy that quoted me getting £10 - £15pw WTC, 60% childcare costs and the same CTC as I was already receiving (£46pw) was probably correct.

Oh good, not only will we eventually starve to death but we shall do so in debt...

Regarding your predicament, I'd guess if you mean you're just swapping your child over to free childcare for that £21 then you'd lose whatever help it is they're giving you at present - so probably around £10pw.

EDIT: I've just twigged - you say per month not week. Do you get paid every MONTH rather than week? OMG there's my answer! Of course, I would get paid monthly not weekly now I am not on IS. Lightbulb moment... So the payment I had is for up to the end of June isn't it? Tut.

lisa76

i think you can opt to be paid weekly or monthly - i chose monthly so that my work pay, maintenance and tax credits all go in roughly the same time - and i can try to budget for the month

TheWaltons_3

Elle83 wrote: »

EDIT: I've just twigged - you say per month not week. Do you get paid every MONTH rather than week? OMG there's my answer! Of course, I would get paid monthly not weekly now I am not on IS. Lightbulb moment... So the payment I had is for up to the end of June isn't it? Tut.

Not necessarily... I am working full time and get Tax Credits weekly as I pay childcare weekly. Perhaps though, they have instantly put you on monthly?

JustKeepSwimming_2

Elle83

Have pm'd you!

Elle00

Erm, got my new TC Award Notice today.

Well, it looks good, sort of, aside from my being convinced it is incorrect.

They've awarded me £160pw CTC. Okay, that's what I expected considering my childcare costs of £147pw.

Then £80pw WTC! Er nope, £10 - £15pw you said...

Apparantly this is because of last year's income being considered for calculation purposes as only my part-time earnings irrespective of IS income. I just don't think this can be right but the advisor insisted she this is correct.

She did however also say that my salary had NOT been uploaded onto the system as I'd been told it had been and neither had the correct PAYEE been allocated but said she had done those both while I was on the line and that they would not affect this year's entitlement. Who knows anymore huh?!

She said my TCs will be considerably less next year and that I'd get an amended notice for next year's provisionary entitlement but swore blind that this year's entitlement is correct from the information I went over with her again.

Well, it knocks out any HB entitlement but still leaves me £25pw better off than I'd have otherwise been!

So I won't starve to death until NEXT tax year now...

misswig

Elle

I was in the same predicament as you when i got my award notice through. I couldn't quite bellieve that i am entitled to so much!! I'm a single parent with one child working full time. My child care costs are also £147 a week:eek: . Cant give you the exact breakdown of figures as i'm at work at the moment but my award works out to £597 per month purely because of the exorbitant childcare costs and the lone persoin element to the CTC. For this year 07/08 the tax credits have been based on last years earnings (17,500ish). However, because of a new job etc next years TC (08/09 will be based on this years earning which are considerably higher) so my TC will be considerably reduced (dreading it as only just making ends meet now with mortgage etc- just have to tighten my belt a bit more:eek: ). my DS(3) will qualify for some free nursery places next month and should be going to school next year so this may ease pressure a bit although i will probably have to cut hours at work to be more school friendly so prehaps not:rolleyes: :rolleyes:

Feel free to PM me. I also live and work in the |Cambridgeshire area and reading previous posts have been in a similar circumstance to you.

Vxx