Get more Tax Credit if your on maternity leave

Gazella77

Thanks a lot for this thread.

I am just about to start claiming and I am v confused and upset by the attitude of some people in IR, I was sent away so many times with nothing :-(

Anyway, the bottom line for me is that as a single mum-to-be I am really scared I won't be able to survive. I am in the middle brackets for salary but that's obviously when I work, not on a maternity pay and if I decide to go back to work full time, my salary won't be enough for the mortgage and child care alone, not to mention food, nappies and food :-(

But I will see what happens if I deduct £100 weekly.

lucysmumwork

Hi guys

This is a very interesting post. But surely about this time of year when you get your renewal packs, you state what your earnings were off your P60. Im thinking of my own siutuation, where I had my daughter in September 2005 and this was the first time we claimed tax credits. But come April when I filled in my pack I put my earnings as being what was on my P60 which surely takes into account the fact that in that tax year I had been off work for 26 weeks? Im thinking this is right and I wasnt fiddled out of any money and I dont think I could go back that far anyway but Im a bit confused! ANy advice would be greatly appreciated!!

[Deleted User]

You declare the gross amount on your P60 minus approved deductions (eg pension contributions, gift aid, £100 p/w maternity pay)

lucysmumwork

Hi subsoniccoyote, thanks for your reply. I finished work and took 26 weeks leave and returned al within the same tax year (which makes things easier I think) so when I have looked back at my award for then, I actually earnt around 7k that year as I worked approx six months of this year before going on maternity leave and this is what I told the tax Credits, so do you mean I should have taken a further 2600 of this amount because when I earnt this 7k I was actually pregnant but working. This 7k is what my p60 states I earnt in that tax year and although I would love to think I am owed money surely this takes into account I was off for 26 weeks. Also you have mentioned pension contributions there, I work for local goverment and pay into the LGPS but I havent told Tax Credits this, the figure I have always given Tax Credits is the figure that states taxable pay for the year.

jay1jay

You deduct £100 for each week you received materninty pay, not each week you worked while pregnant. And yes, you should take your pension contributions off the gross income you declare. Its too late now though to get money back from previous years, as you've already made your legal declaration for each year & things cant be changed after that (unless theres fraud involved or HMRC made a mistake).

lucysmumwork

Hiya

Thanks jay1jay thats what I thought - I just couldnt put it into words! I think there may be some confusion further up as it is misleading. Shame I havent delcared pension contributions, though I wont have lost too much as I have only started working or my current employer while pregnant three years ago then went part time so I dont pay a huge amount. Will be careful this next year though - I am expecting a pack through in the next few months.

mummy2jack

I was on maternity pay late 2005 to april 2006 and when I informed them of my sons birth I remembered asking them if I had any discounts etc and they told me NO

After reading this thread I decided to call them and ask them if it was too late for me to claim any money back and he asked what year it was from and I told him 2005-2006 and he said that I would be able to claim money back I will have to ring them next week with my total income figure for that year and they would send it to head office for them to pay me back pay from that year, The reason he couldnt deal with it there and then on the phone is because they are updating the system

[Deleted User]

Sorry this is not the case. The adviser can refer it to TCO for consideration but he cannot update the information as the tax year has been finalised.

It is best to call on Tuesday/Wednesday to get them to send the referral as the system is currently unavailable but the adviser SHOULD HAVE TAKEN THE DETAILS, he was just a lazy <expletive>.

Regarding the consideration of changing you income from 2005/06, this is very unlikely to be changed unless you write a letter requesting that they reconsider their decision (once they have said they are not changing it).
You would need to prove you were mis-advised but in this case you were not. The information is available in the guidance booklet that accompanied your claim form.
If you go to this link and have a look at the front page it tells you to "Please Keep These Notes For Future Reference".
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/forms/tc600_notes.pdf

vij1366

so does this by anychance mean we could get it back dated as my misus was on maternity leave in 2000 and 2002
please advise
thanks

JohnBeeTee

In the notes for this years form which I am filling in now, it says to remove £100 per week of maternity, but on the form itself it says to remove any statutory maternity pay from your calculation. Is that plus the £100 per week, or instead of?

Thanks in advance

John