Working tax credit

Coz

After completing my college course this year, it will be the first time I have worked since having my child. I am a single mum and already claim child tax credit. When I qualify as a level 3 early years practitioner, I am considering working through an agency as a supply EYP for 3 days a week, possibly term time only. But how would this work with working tax credit, as I may not be working the same hours every week through an agency. Would I only receive WTC for the weeks that I work at least 16 hours? Would I have to ring tax credits every week that I worked less than 16 weeks to notify them?
If I had a permanent term time only job and knew how many hours I was working each week, would tax credits average out my hours over the year so that I would get WTC in school holidays aswell? Or is it the wage they have to average out to do that, not the hours?
Thanks in advance.

Darksparkle

You'd need to expect to work 16hrs per week for at least 4 weeks to qualify. If your hours reduced below 16hrs for 4 weeks or more you'd need to notify them.

If term time, you are considered working the same hours all year round.

The income you declare is what you expect to earn in the tax year.

DigForVictory

It wouldn't hurt to plan your school holiday cover ahead & price that up too, so that there aren't any late changes which aren't recognised?

Coz

Darksparkle wrote: »

You'd need to expect to work 16hrs per week for at least 4 weeks to qualify. If your hours reduced below 16hrs for 4 weeks or more you'd need to notify them.

If term time, you are considered working the same hours all year round.

The income you declare is what you expect to earn in the tax year.

Thanks. So I wouldn't need to work more than 16 hours a week term time to make up for not working school holidays? I wouldn't get WTC during school holidays, would I. If my hours reduced below 16 hours for 4 weeks in a row, do I pay back the WTC that I received for the past 4 weeks?

Coz

DigForVictory wrote: »

It wouldn't hurt to plan your school holiday cover ahead & price that up too, so that there aren't any late changes which aren't recognised?

Thanks for the reply, but I don't understand what you mean?

Darksparkle

Coz wrote: »

Thanks. So I wouldn't need to work more than 16 hours a week term time to make up for not working school holidays? I wouldn't get WTC during school holidays, would I. If my hours reduced below 16 hours for 4 weeks in a row, do I pay back the WTC that I received for the past 4 weeks?

As I said, you are treated as working the same hours all year round. So if you work 16hrs term time you are treated as working 16hrs during non term time.

No you wouldn't pay it back.

Coz

Darksparkle wrote: »

As I said, you are treated as working the same hours all year round. So if you work 16hrs term time you are treated as working 16hrs during non term time.

No you wouldn't pay it back.

Thanks. So would I have to work 16 hours a week for another 4 weeks before I started receiving WTC again? Would it be back dated to the first of the 4 weeks of working 16 hours a week? I'm guessing not, as I would have been receiving it when I shouldn't have been for 4 weeks when my hours were reduced below 16 hours.

Darksparkle

Yes it would be backdated (max backdate is one month).

It's based on what you expect to work. If your hours increased to 16 and you expect it to last 4 weeks then you can claim. If you don't know if it will last the 4 weeks then you can wait and see.

It would be easier for you though if you could try get 16hrs guaranteed

Coz

Darksparkle wrote: »

Yes it would be backdated (max backdate is one month).

It's based on what you expect to work. If your hours increased to 16 and you expect it to last 4 weeks then you can claim. If you don't know if it will last the 4 weeks then you can wait and see.

It would be easier for you though if you could try get 16hrs guaranteed

I know, it's going to be more complicated than I thought working through an agency.

So if I have no idea of the exact hours I would be working from one week to the next, after initially claiming WTC, I would be best waiting until I have worked for 16 hours a week for 4 weeks straight, then notify them and have it back dated? Then would they pay me the correct amount of WTC according to the number of hours I've worked for each of those 4 weeks?

Darksparkle

Coz wrote: »

I know, it's going to be more complicated than I thought working through an agency.

So if I have no idea of the exact hours I would be working from one week to the next, after initially claiming WTC, I would be best waiting until I have worked for 16 hours a week for 4 weeks straight, then notify them and have it back dated? Then would they pay me the correct amount of WTC according to the number of hours I've worked for each of those 4 weeks?

Yes.

Not sure I understand what you mean by your last question.

Coz

Darksparkle wrote: »

Yes.

Not sure I understand what you mean by your last question.

Thanks.
I mean the amount of WTC you receive varies depending on how many hours you work eg. If I worked 16 hours, I would get more than if I worked 24 hours. So if I notified tax credits of how many hours I had worked for each of the previous 4 weeks and it was a different amount of hours each week, I would get a different amount of WTC for each week. Is that correct?