Tax credits questions.

Strangelymade

Hi all, I am having real problems getting through to the tax credits helpline, been trying every day, three times a day for the past week, waiting on the phone on hold for 20 to 30 minutes at a time, and no luck. Any idea when or how to actually get to speak to some one?

Anyway, we're on a very low income, I'm self employed but don't actually make a wage from my business, and my partner is on a pension from work. we're also both disabled.

Now we were, up untill last month getting £190 a month tax credits, then this month for some reason it dropped to £77.00 due to predicted changes HMRC could make but they don't say what those changes are, any ideas?
Our income is as follows
Pension £8157.60 before tax
£7857.60 - the £300 you are allowed to take off.

DLA £4071.00 (but that doesn't count toward TC)
PIP £ 1120.60 (But that doesn't count towards TC)

So why should our TC drop so much all of a sudden?


And finally I work 38-40 hours a week, get tax credits and also get the standard rate on mobility for PIP because I can't walk more than 50 metre with out sever pain or a stick, now I've read on some .gov pages that that means I qualify for extra tc due to a disadvantage of getting work, but other pages don't say the same thing. Does anyone know which is true?

Strangelymade

Ok, cheers I'll try calling earlier on Monday (assuming they will be open on a back holiday)

Actually our income hasn't changed that much, so for 13/14 and 14/15 it's pretty much the same.

One of the reasons I'm trying to get through to TC is to tell them about my award for PIP, it is only for the standard rate of mobility, but from what I understood on the HMRC disability helpsheet, that should qualify me for the disability element. Is that different to the severe disability element?

Strangelymade

Cheers, that the helpsheet I have been looking at, so I should qualify for that. The severe disability element is a no-no as neither of us are that disabled (thank the gods) .

I will definitely have to get in contact with them about the money, as you can imagine, things are very tight in this house at present. But I don't hold out much hope.

As for the compliance check, done one of them , very helpful a friendly man from the tax office helped us with that, everything was fine.

Up at 07:30 on Monday for me, I think

shegirl

I'm also puzzled over why your tax credits are so low. Early mornings are a good time to call them.

Also have to agree about potential compliance checks,working 38-40 hours a week and not earning a penny,even more so if that's what has been giving you the tax credits for the past 2-3 years, is going to look a little odd

Strangelymade

I'm really not sure why the tax credits are the amount they are. All I now is I give them the correct information and they send us award notices. But when it dropped from £190 to £77 a month because of changes they could predict would affect our award amount I got worried.
I had forgotten to tell them about PIP, but only got that a month ago.

As I said the compliance thing is no problem, had one a couple of years ago, and seeing as I am up front and tell them the truth I don't have anything to worry about.

shegirl

Strangelymade wrote: »

I'm really not sure why the tax credits are the amount they are. All I now is I give them the correct information and they send us award notices. But when it dropped from £190 to £77 a month because of changes they could predict would affect our award amount I got worried.
I had forgotten to tell them about PIP, but only got that a month ago.

As I said the compliance thing is no problem, had one a couple of years ago, and seeing as I am up front and tell them the truth I don't have anything to worry about.

Having one a couple of years ago will make no difference. You are still,after a couple of years - as you currently are, earning nothing,never mind a low wage (!), despite 'working' 38 -40 hours a week and for a few years you will likely to be compliance checked.

They are checking up on the self employed,there are new rules and when universal credit comes in you won't be able to do what you are now and won't get the same money for it