Child tax credits help - 2+ children

flutterbyuk25

Hi all,


I'm getting very confused with CTC and eligibility criteria etc, and we have a complicated family so the calculators aren't easy. We have never been able to claim before but due to drop in income/change in circumstances we can now (I think!).


From what I can gather you are now only allowed to claim CTC for 2 children, is this right?


If so can you change which children you claim for at a later date?


Family background:


- There is myself and OH.
- I work 21hrs a wk earning £12K pa (I used to work FT until June this year).
- OH works FT earning £29K.
- We have one 15month old together. We pay £400-£450/mth for childcare for him. I claim CB for him (but at 2nd child rate- see below)


Here is the complicated bits:


- OH has two other children, SS aged 13 and SD aged 8.
- They live with us 4 nights a week. OH claims CB for SS (at 1st child rate).
- His ex claims CB for SD.
- His ex also claims CTC for BOTH children (she did prior to the spilt and despite us having them more often, as we could never claim it due to income he let her continue to claim)


Change of circs:


- His ex has moved in with her new OH and they no longer qualify for CTC.
- I am pregnant with #2 (due June 2018)


If you have got this far well done! My questions are:


1. We technically qualify for CTC now for this financial year for SS and my DS based on my earnings last year when on mat leave. But when new baby comes we will need to pay 2 x childcare so it makes more sense to claim for the two littlest ones as we can get money for childcare for both that way. Can you change the children on a claim for next financial year or not?


2. Have I missed anything?


Thanks very much in advance.

Darksparkle

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/child-tax-credit-exceptions-to-the-2-child-limit

“The disability element of Child Tax Credit and the childcare element of Working Tax Credit will continue to be paid for all eligible children. You’ll get these elements for an eligible child, even if you don’t get the child element of Child Tax Credit for them.“

Icequeen99

So, under the current tax credit rules you can get a child element for SS, SD and your 15 month old. You won't get it for the new baby.

You can claim childcare for any of them - that isn't affected by the 2 child limit as the link above shows.

IQ

flutterbyuk25

Ah thank you both. I was unaware that we could still claim the childcare bit with having 3 or 4 children. Makes it a bit more clearer now.


Thanks