Please help me regarding tax credits and housing benefit

stressed123

Hi all

I have just started a new job, and have been told I will not get paid until the end of October due to start date, payroll etc. This will leave us very short as I will only be receiving a week's pay from my previous job at the end of this month.

DH is a stay at home parent with our youngest who is 2. He is looking for a permanent job to fit around my hours and the kids, but this is proving difficult (I work shifts which are helpfully changing again later this year).

So, he has found a job nearby but it is temporary and through an agency. We currently receive child tax credits, housing benefit and a tiny amount of working tax credits.

Am I right in thinking that if this doesn't work out, we wouldn't be able to go back to claiming housing benefit? We would still be entitled to child tax credits but not housing benefit. I'm concerned at being transferred on to UC and not having enough money.

Also, I considered DH just doing agency for a couple of weeks to tide us over (family would help with childcare) but would that amount of time make us have to apply to housing benefit again? And trigger UC even though the change in circumstances would only be for a couple of weeks?

I am so stressed and confused, sorry for the rambling

Barney_Rubble_0403

Ask them for an advance payment which can be reclaimed off your October wage. Employer should advance you for days worked in September at the end of September. I'm assuming you are too late for September's payroll run.

stressed123

Thanks, I did enquire about this- I was told they don't do advance payments due to their pay roll and I will be too late for September's

poppy12345

If your housing benefit stopped because your income is too high then you're right you won't be able to re-claim housing benefit because all areas are now a full UC area. If you claimed this, your tax credits will stop and be paid as part of UC.

Spoonie_Turtle

I used to work in a school so was employed by the council. They also had strict timescales for payroll and they couldn't amend underpayments until the next month because all the payslips had to match with what was sent to HMRC - and the HMRC report went as soon as the payslips were generated. I had a situation which is why they explained all this to me, and it took a little bit of pleading and explaining why I needed what they owed me, why it couldn't just wait until the following payday. The solution for them was a BACS payment, which would show up as deductions on the next payslip - so the overall wages tallied, just some of it was paid sooner than the rest.

I think it's worth asking again, because you really need the money and you need to not mess up your benefits - and if they say no ask them to explain exactly why payroll can't manage it. If it comes to it, you could ask the Citizen's Advice Bureau about how exactly it would work with benefits if work still refuse to help.

stressed123

Thanks Poppy.

Do you know if this would be the case if our income was only too high for a couple of weeks then went back to my one wage? I know you have a month to report a change. Sorry, I know I am clutching at straws!

And, if they did cancel my claim due to not being entitled for those couple of weeks, would I be able to just continue with tax credits?

NedS

Have you done a benefits calculation on a site like https://www.entitledto.co.uk ?


Many working families are better off under UC depending upon your circumstances.

poppy12345

NedS wrote: »

Have you done a benefits calculation on a site like www.entitledto.co.uk ?

Or visit a local advice centre near you for a full benefits check.



If your housing benefit is canceled then you can still continue with tax credits, providing you don't claim UC.

stressed123

Thanks, just going through options now with a benefits calculator.

My letter from tax credits said that it is based on the previous year's income- would this remain the case even if my husband gets a job now?

KatrinaWaves

stressed123 wrote: »

Thanks, just going through options now with a benefits calculator.

My letter from tax credits said that it is based on the previous year's income- would this remain the case even if my husband gets a job now?

It is based on so that they can get your award going, but the actual eligibility is based on this years, so if I had a 10k job last year, thats okay, but if I have a 100k job this year, then no.

So if your husband got a job now which meant your earnings were too high for the year overall, then you would have an overpayment. You can report these changes to WTC.

calcotti

stressed123 wrote: »

Thanks, just going through options now with a benefits calculator.

My letter from tax credits said that it is based on the previous year's income- would this remain the case even if my husband gets a job now?

The award is based on last year’s Income but reviewed at the end of the year. If the change in income is less than £2,500 then the initial award will be the final award. If the change is more than £2,500 then the final award is based on the actual figure at which time an underpayment or an overpayment may be identified.