Working Tax Credits

treetopapple

Could someone please advise what is correct?

My head has been banging with Work Tax Credits and as usual anything government based you get so many different answers from the powers that be when they try to explain anything.

I recently started back working in October 2015 my total income for 2015/2016 was £8,400.

Now this is where things get complicated. According to the HMRC calculator

taxcredits.hmrc.gov.uk I input all my details into it and for single man zero kids, not on any other benefits I get this as my final outcome

Working Tax Credit
Working Tax Credit £1691.66
This is based on your household income of £8500.00.
This is the amount your household may be entitled to from 19/05/2016 until 05/04/2017. This result is only an estimate and is based on the information provided assuming you make the claim on 19/05/2016. This means the amount shown may not be your entitlement for the full year.

tax.service.gov.uk/tax-credits-calculator result I get informed I should get

Working Tax Credit

You could get

£147.51 every four weeks
towards your household costs


However I have been on the telephone this afternoon to Working Tax Credit who are adamant that they look at my current income for the new tax year 2016/2017 to determine my award and not the previous tax year and that BOTH the official tax credit calculators are wrong that as my expected income will be £17,000 for the year and I get NOTHING.


I assumed somewhere this would stop but I was under the illusion that they look at your previous tax years and has nothing to do with current tax year. Could someone advise which is correct the so called governments 2 benefit calculators or the person down the phone. I am really confused

Darksparkle

Tax credits is based on the previous year's income unless the current year income increases/decreases by £2500.

So if you expect to earn £17,000 you'll be treated as earning £14,500 which is too high for WTC for a single person without children or disabilities.

https://www.gov.uk/changes-affect-tax-credits

This is also mentioned before you start the calculator

https://www.gov.uk/tax-credits-calculator#before-you-start

nannytone_2

hey say 'may be' or 'could be' entitled, based on the previous years income.

this is because they also have to consider the present years estimated income.

as dark sparkle says, you will earn too much to be entitled