Working Tax Credit as a Couple

Pink_Mouse

I've never posted on a forum before. I am trying to find out if my partner & I are eligible for Tax Credit (or indeed any other benefits), I tried Entitledto but all it says is that we may get a funeral grant.

I am 53, work 10 hours a week in one job on a regular basis and 15 hours a week (most weeks) in another job but this is Market Research so there are about 6 or 7 weeks a year when I don't get allocated. I also do a bit of Mystery shopping. In the 2006/07 Tax Year my Gross Pay was 10k.

My partner is 56, used to get income support and credits for his national insurance. Last year he moved in with me and his IS was stopped because they said I earn too much. He can't get incapacity benefit because he has not paid hardly any NI contributions. We have applied for DLA and that is currently at appeal stage. We are very happy but have a mortgage and are desperate, please could anyone advise.

Gaz83

You wouldn't be entitled to any WTC unfortunately - you have to be working over 30 hours per week to be entitled to claim.

Pink_Mouse

Thanks Gaz, I am willing to work more hours and indeed may have to do so. When I first met my partner I was working in an office full time and gave that up to move to the same town as him. While I was job hunting we noticed that his health improved considerably with me being around. The work I do means that he is not alone too often. However, I thought I could remember reading somewhere that WTC should be claimed as a couple when two people are living together and that if either of you has a disability then there is no need to be working full time. Unfortunately I don't know where I read it and can't find any reference to it now.

petercarots

Unfortunately you wouldnt qualify under this idea either pinkmouse, the person getting DLA needs to be working minimun 16 hours a week regarless of what the other person is working for the disability element to be paid

Pink_Mouse

Thanks Petercarots, I know life isn't always fair and it is beginning to seem that way for us. If I go back to work full time my partner's health suffers and if I keepp to the kind of hours I am doing now we sink further into debt. It seems a bit of 'catch 22', the only other thing I can think of is to find something I can do at home to earn money.

Gaz83

Do you have the opportunity to increase hours by 5 in either or both of your jobs?

Pink_Mouse

I could register with more Market Research companies and try to get an extra day's work each week like that, it is a case of balancing what makes OH more poorly (being alone more or being further in debt). I know lots of people have to live on less than my income but unfornuately, due to divorce, I had a house repossessed in 1990 and it was a few years before I was able to get another. That means that due to my age the mortgage is quite high and takes a large chunk of income.

Pink_Mouse

Just had another thought, if I tried to do more Market Research it wouldn't be guaranteed work so although I could build it up to the point where I was working the extra hours most weeks there would be times when I didn't get offered the extra.

Gaz83

It would all depend on how often you were working the extra hours in that case.

For example, if most weeks you were working over 30 hours, but there were a small number of weeks where you didn't get that extra work, you can still say that your usual working hours are over 30.

Pink_Mouse

Thanks that is really useful to know, market research is set up in such a way that I get paid a fee for the work plus expenses, eg mileage, phone calls, etc. Would I declare the expenses as part of my income, I'm not sure what figures to use on the entitledto check.

Gaz83

You'd have to declare any "Benefits In Kind" as part of your income and these can include company car and / or mileage allowance. I'm not sure of everything that's included these days so best to phone the helpline and ask.