Working from home due to coronavirus? Claim £6 week tax back on extra costs

suziewoozie

My daughter has been working part time from home since the start of Covid and has been told this is now permanent.  She is a non tax payer, single parent of 2 girls, on universal credit and also using her electricity and gas whilst she is working, but it appears she is unable to claim the £6 why is this? Is there any other way she can claim this money. Thank you

CocoM2020

She doesn’t pay tax? But isn’t it a tax relief thing? Plus it’s not £6 - think it actually works out as about £1.20 from what I have seen on here. 

68ComebackSpecial

If eligible to claim it isn't £6 per week - it's tax relief on that amount, which equates to £1.20 per week for a basic rate tax payer. As she doesn't pay tax she won't be able to claim. She could always ask her employer for a contribution.

CocoM2020

Is she not saving money from not having to pay travel costs? Is her gas/electricity usage much higher than if she wasn’t working from home?

Grumpy_chap

There are two ways this allowance can operate.
1. The employer can pay the employee an allowance of £6 per week and there is no tax implication.  This is the employer's decision and, depending on how secure employment is, asking may be prejudicial to future income.
2. The employee can claim a tax allowance against income tax, which is worth £1.20 per week for a basic rate tax payer.  Unfortunately, if an individual is below the tax threshold (personal allowance) so therefore not paying income tax, even if the allowance is claimed it will have no value to that individual.

I hope that helps, but it seems as though your daughter will not be able to make use of this allowance, unless the employer pays extra.  However, does you daughter make other savings by not travelling to work?

suziewoozie

She works 20 hours per week so her salary is well under the tax allowance of £12,500. Her office is 3 miles away so the amount of fuel used for her 3 days work is negligible. Yes her electricity is higher, she's on a key meter which is always more expensive,  and with winter coming she will have to heat the house all day. 

suziewoozie

Personally it's grossly unfair that people on a low income, non taxpayers who have been forced to work from home appear not to be entitled to this help, they're the ones that need it the most!!! 

fairyclairethehare

Can she not change to a credit meter? I changed when living in social accommodation without problem not sure how it works for private rents. 

JamoLew

what are her actual costs for heating the house for an extra 20 hours a week ?
she could try asking her employer for a contribution as stated by Grumpy above

comeandgo

suziewoozie said:

She works 20 hours per week so her salary is well under the tax allowance of £12,500. Her office is 3 miles away so the amount of fuel used for her 3 days work is negligible. Yes her electricity is higher, she's on a key meter which is always more expensive,  and with winter coming she will have to heat the house all day. 

No,  she only needs to heat where she is working or wear warmer clothing.  I found a blanket over my knees and a goose down gillet kept me warm enough until my heating kicked in at its normal time of 3.00 pm.    She should ask her employer if they would give her an extra payment to cover her costs but not knowing the benefits system it may be counter productive, the benefits may reduce by same amount.

Grumpy_chap

suziewoozie said:

Personally it's grossly unfair that people on a low income, non taxpayers who have been forced to work from home appear not to be entitled to this help, they're the ones that need it the most!!! 

This does seem unfair, but these current circumstances were never ones that were anticipated by anybody ever.