Single mum in dire straights

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carole6691
carole6691 Posts: 20 Forumite
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in Benefits & tax credits
Would really appreciate any advice on this please... a close friend of mine is a single mum with a 15 year old son .She had a limited company which she has had to sell as it wasn't viable so the company has been liquidated,she has been offered a job for 16 hours per week but been advised by DWP that to be paid working tax credits she needs to work 35 hours per week anyone got any experience of this ? TIA

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  • KatrinaWaves
    KatrinaWaves Posts: 2,944 Forumite
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    edited 14 November 2019 at 12:51PM
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    carole6691 wrote: »
    Would really appreciate any advice on this please... a close friend of mine is a single mum with a 15 year old son .She had a limited company which she has had to sell as it wasn't viable so the company has been liquidated,she has been offered a job for 16 hours per week but been advised by DWP that to be paid working tax credits she needs to work 35 hours per week anyone got any experience of this ? TIA

    Is she already claiming WTC?[STRIKE] if she is, then I believe for over 25's you need to work 30 unless there is a disability element.[/STRIKE]

    if she is not currently claiming WTC then she will need to claim UC
  • pmlindyloo
    pmlindyloo Posts: 13,049 Forumite
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    If she is a single mum then she needs to work at least 16 hrs per week to claim working tax credits.

    https://www.gov.uk/working-tax-credit

    However, as already stated we need to know whether she is already receiving working tax credits or not.
  • Alice_Holt
    Alice_Holt Posts: 5,949 Forumite
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    Is she currently receiving Tax Credits?
    Does she rent?
    Is she receiving HB?
    What are her savings?
    What benefits (if any) is she currently claiming?

    I suggest she gets a benefit check.
    https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/about-us/contact-us/contact-us/contact-us/
    https://www.entitledto.co.uk/
    https://benefits-calculator.turn2us.org.uk/AboutYou
    https://www.betteroffcalculator.co.uk/#/login

    That info given to her by the DWP is either garbled or incorrect (per pmlindyloo's post re 16 hrs).
    She cannot make a new claim for TC, it's replaced by UC.
    Given this it would be better for your friend to post her question herself along with the necessary background info, and clarify any points arising.
    Alice Holt Forest situated some 4 miles south of Farnham forms the most northerly gateway to the South Downs National Park.
  • calcotti
    calcotti Posts: 15,696 Forumite
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    carole6691 wrote: »
    ...been advised by DWP that to be paid working tax credits she needs to work 35 hours per week ..
    Quite apart from all the points and questions already raised note that Tax Credits are not dealt with by DWP, they are dealt with by HMRC.
    Information I post is for England unless otherwise stated. Some rules may be different in other parts of UK.
  • carole6691
    carole6691 Posts: 20 Forumite
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    hi thanks for your help shes not receiving any benefit previously including working tax credit
  • calcotti
    calcotti Posts: 15,696 Forumite
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    carole6691 wrote: »
    hi thanks for your help shes not receiving any benefit previously including working tax credit

    If she is not already getting any Tax Credits (either Child Tax Credits or Working Tax Credits) she cannot now make a claim for Tax Credits. She would have to claim Universal Credit. Lots of information here https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/universal-credit/

    Whether or not she would qualify for anything depends on her circumstances. There are online benefit calculators that can be used to assess entitlement https://www.gov.uk/benefits-calculators
    Information I post is for England unless otherwise stated. Some rules may be different in other parts of UK.
  • tomtom256
    tomtom256 Posts: 2,217 Forumite
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    Under UC as she has a 15 year old, then the expected work hours would be 35 and I think that is what she meant in her OP, but I could be wrong.

    Many people get tax credits and Universal Credit mixed up, as they think both are now the same thing.
  • calcotti
    calcotti Posts: 15,696 Forumite
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    edited 14 November 2019 at 8:32PM
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    tomtom256 wrote: »
    Under UC as she has a 15 year old, then the expected work hours would be 35.
    Or fewer hours at rate of pay resulting in earnings equivalent to 35 x NMW per week.
    Information I post is for England unless otherwise stated. Some rules may be different in other parts of UK.
  • Alice_Holt
    Alice_Holt Posts: 5,949 Forumite
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    edited 14 November 2019 at 10:57PM
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    tomtom256 wrote: »
    Under UC as she has a 15 year old, then the expected [earnings equivalent] would be 35 hours [times the MNW] and I think that is what she meant in her OP, but I could be wrong.

    Which is why I think these questions for a friend threads, with the inevitable chinese whispers aspect, and usual inexactitude / blurring of details together with a complete lack of grasp of a complex benefits landscape, are far better answered by suggesting a benefit check (preferably face to face) for the "friend".
    Alice Holt Forest situated some 4 miles south of Farnham forms the most northerly gateway to the South Downs National Park.
  • 11krage
    11krage Posts: 67 Forumite
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    Under UC unless she has health conditions or caring responsibilities she'd sign a commitment to be working or searching for work 35 hours per week. This is for parents with a child 13 years or older.

    She can of course take the job for 16 hours a week and should be being encouraged to if no full time jobs are present at the moment. She'd then be expected to use the remaining hours per week up to 35 to search for jobs.

    There'll be a section on her account where she can log jobs she's applied for, and should also make some regular notes on her journal about what work search activities she's done to make up the remaining hours.

    This way she will eventually be in a better position and gradually earn more and more until she outgrows the need for UC, which is the point of UC. But if she needs to take part time jobs in the journey to that end goal, that's fine and will help expand her CV to help her work search.
    Amount left to pay on house = 64,400.

    Savings buffer = 1,028.75 of 2415.

    Next large expense = 159 of 483.
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