I work 15.5 hours a week, can I get WTC

mischa68

I am able to get overtime. Iv worked out I need an extra 26

nannytone_2

lobe parents need to work 16 hours
disabled people need to work 16 hours
couples with children need to work 24 hours ( with one parent working at least 16)
childless couples need to work 30 hours
single people without children need to work 30 hours

mischa68

Thank you. Alot of people are on zero hour contracts and may work 30 hours one week and maybe 10 the next. Overtime is possible. If I worked an extra 2 hours overtime per month would I qualify. Iv worked out I need to work an extra 26 hours a year for it to average 16 hours per week. Would WTC accept this?...

dktreesea

Is universal credit available in your area? It goes with ZHC better than WTC.

Icequeen99

mischa68 wrote: »

Thank you. Alot of people are on zero hour contracts and may work 30 hours one week and maybe 10 the next. Overtime is possible. If I worked an extra 2 hours overtime per month would I qualify. Iv worked out I need to work an extra 26 hours a year for it to average 16 hours per week. Would WTC accept this?...

No, you can't average hours like that over a year. It is your 'normal' weekly working hours that count towards the requirements. So if you had a 15 hour contract but got overtime 3 out of every 4 weeks that took you over 16 then you could say your normal working hours were 16+.

You might check with the helpline. I am sure that tax credits round half hours up overs, so a 15.5 hour contract would be treated as 16. I can't find the reference to it right now.

IQ

xHannahx

WTC only take whole hours, but I can't remember whether 15.5 counts as 15 or 16.

MsShorty

Tax credits have always rounded down my hours - when I worked 32.5, they rounded down to 32 and now I work 46.5 and they rounded it down to 46.


However, I am sure I recall reading a post recently, where tax credits had rounded the hours up. Cannot recall the thread though.

Icequeen99

blondebubbles wrote: »

As far as I was aware they always round down. There was a thread in the last week or so that said the opposite though.

However I can't find any definitive guidance on this so they'd probably need to ask the helpline.

The way I see it if you work 15.5 hours and your qualifying level is 16 then you don't qualify so they won't round up to advantage you.

I thought they did round up, but now I am not so sure. There is something written somewhere in one of the manuals about rounding hours, but I can't find it.

IQ

mischa68

Thanks everyon. I'll phone the helpline. I'm sure if I work 2 hours a month extra it will average 16 hours. Iv noticed on the website that WTC are very specific in asking for your average monthly wage

xHannahx

mischa68 wrote: »

Thanks everyon. I'll phone the helpline. I'm sure if I work 2 hours a month extra it will average 16 hours. Iv noticed on the website that WTC are very specific in asking for your average monthly wage

I suspect they will be fine with your average, but don't want to commit to definite.
I think the only issue would arise if your figures worked out less than minimum wage for the number of hours claimed.

Icequeen99

blondebubbles wrote: »

What website did you read that from as it is incorrect.

Tax credit ask for your income for the tax year, not each month.

You need to meet the required hours for your circumstances before they will even look at your income.

BB is right about income. But you are looking at hours first - you cannot average hours over a month. Can you post a website that says you can?

Tax credits are interested in your 'normal' working hours. Only if you have a defined pattern do you average (for example a contract that does 30 one week and 15 the next every other week permanently) they accept that averaged over the 2 weeks.

But otherwise you don't average.

IQ