Working Tax Credits and Housing Benefit

John1973

I tried going self employed last year and its not working out well at the moment. I currently get working tax credits of a little over £50 a week, and also get full housing benefit. I am worried however that I may been overpaid.

Last year when I applied for working tax credits and housing benefit I estimated my figures and it all seemed pretty straight forward but I had help at the time, and so was not that involved with the process.

I have now received renewal forms for everything and finding it a bit complicated doing this myself. I decided to try a government website (Turn2Us.Org.Uk) to see what I should be claiming, but it is not specific for where I should put my income for working tax credits.

I currently earn an average of £40 per week from self employed work, and with my working tax credits is around £90 per week. I entered my £40 from self employment in the correct box but there is nowhere to put in my £50 from working tax credits. If I enter only the £40 then I get full housing benefits, but if I enter £90 I dont get full housing benefit, and if this is the case then I have probably been overpaid.

Can someone tell me if I have to add the £50 weekly working tax credit into the benefits calculator at all?

Confused.

John.

Alice_Holt

I can confirm that your WTC income will be taken into account when your HB is calculated.
Have you notified the council of any changes in your income?

It may be worth looking at the HB award notices, and comparing the income your council has used to calculate your HB against your actual income.

This may also be of interest:
http://revenuebenefits.org.uk/tax-credits/guidance/how-do-tax-credits-work/self-employed/
http://revenuebenefits.org.uk/pdf/130312%20SE%20Help%20Card%20v0%209%20cw.pdf

Darksparkle

Just to advice for your TC renewal, you put your profit as per your tax return.

John1973

At the time I claimed last year I already told them my estimated self employment income would be around £30 weekly, and I also told them I am living off tax credits too.

They didnt ask any more questions after that and simply awarded me full rent for nearly a year.

Now I am having to fill in all my WTC+Tax Return+Rent rebate again and hoping there will be no change. I am earning £40 weekly instead of the estimated £30 I gave them last year, but a tenner should not make much difference I hope.

I am living like a pauper already, and the thought of paying any rent would break me completely.

This is why I turned to the online calculator to be sure. Yet I cannot get an answer to my question here, which was specifically where do I enter the WTC figure into the online calculator? Is there a better online calculator to use?

Thanks.