Child Tax Credits and complaint to Job Centre

toshkininny

My OH has been out of work for 6 months and been going to the Job Centre. As we haven't got a clue what benefits we are entitled to, I would have thought the Job Centre would offer that information. It seems that we should have been claiming Child Tax Credits for the last 6 months. We have no benefit payments coming in at all, and I only earn about £530 a month. I internet chatted today to the tax people and they told me they can only back date a month.

I mentioned that it wasn't particularly fair as we were ill informed, and he said I should complain to the job centre, and possibly I might be able to claim the money back. Has anybody have such luck and am I really entitled to Child Tax Credits, is there anything else I should be getting?!!!


Thank you all!

zagfles

Well you might get WTC as well, but they are claimed in the same claim as CTC. How many hours a week do you work? How much did you earn last tax year (both of you)? It's possible you might not have lost too much because if your OH was on a good wage before he lost his job you might not have been entitled last tax year.

PS you can check your entitlement to benefits on http://www.entitledto.co.uk/benefits-calculator/

Darksparkle

Given its HMRC that administer tax credits I doubt they would backdate further due to information not provided by JCP, only if you'd been advised incorrectly by HMRC.

As for being entitled now, can you confirm the household income for tax year 2015/16 and expected income for 2016/17?

How many hours do you work?

How many children?

toshkininny

Thanks, I just find this all so confusing. I worked 5 hours a week up until December, then 20 hours a week January on wards, and approx. £3,000 for me, and I presume from April 2015, my OH was out of work for 3 months, got a job, then out of work from November, so in total worked 5 months and was on approx. £40k.

toshkininny

have two kids.

Darksparkle

Celifein wrote: »

Do the Job Centre even administer tax credits? I thought it was a completely different department.

It's administered by HMRC currently. When it moves to UC it will be JCP.

Darksparkle

toshkininny wrote: »

Thanks, I just find this all so confusing. I worked 5 hours a week up until December, then 20 hours a week January on wards, and approx. £3,000 for me, and I presume from April 2015, my OH was out of work for 3 months, got a job, then out of work from November, so in total worked 5 months and was on approx. £40k.

Sorry do you mean the £40,000 was for the 5months? Or that was the yearly salary?

You wouldn't be eligible for WTC. A couple with children are required to work at least 24hrs between then (with one working at least 16hrs). There are exceptions if one is incapacitated.

Are you sure you only earn £530 per month? That would be £6.11 ph. Unless you're under 21?

toshkininny

sorry 40k per annum

Darksparkle

Ive edited regarding your own income, can you confirm?

toshkininny

just looked up my last pay into my bank and it said £556, after deductions, sorry to confuse things.

Darksparkle

toshkininny wrote: »

just looked up my last pay into my bank and it said £556, after deductions, sorry to confuse things.

It's your gross pay that would be needed for tax credit purposes.

I suggest you sit down and look through your records and confirm the total taxable income for 2015/16 and expected income for 2016/17.

You'll need to do this for claiming tax credits anyway.

Also if your partner received any contributions based JSA you'll need to include that in the income.