Quick and (kind of) easy question about child tax credits and pregnancy...

[hopefully]

I'm 37 weeks pregnant, and have asked for and received a claim for for tax credits. Does anyone know whether I'd be better off filling out the form with our current details (i.e. no children) and letting tax credits know when we have a change of circumstances (i.e. I give birth), or should I fill out all the relevent bits except the date of birth of the child, and just post the form as soon as possible after the birth? I have no idea which will result in the most prompt payment!

Incidentally, we are nearly at the upper threshold for earnings for child tax credit, so won't be eligible for working tax credits or anything before the birth.

Anyone got any experience of this?

[scorpio1]

Send the form now, with current details

When baby is born, ring them.

[hopefully]

Thanks, I'll do that!

[ObsidianBlackbirdMcNight]

Yes because you have to wait for the birth certificate as well so the more info they have the better to speed it up. It won't be quick anyway!

[Slickbird]

I called them about ten times last year when I was pregnant, then on mat leave, then when the baby was born etc etc and they still managed to get it wrong and over pay me which they are now taking off my payments! They are very frustrating but I will tell you this, they base your payments on your 'last year's income' so that is the important info to give them, and try and give them the exact amount as per your p60 or they will get your payment wrong. What maddened me was that when my mat pay was finished and I was on ZERO income, they STILL took into consideration the last year's income and then said I wasn't entitled to enough to stay off work, so I had to go and get a job to get someone else to look after my DD2 - it makes me so sad. It's not like we earn a lot, it's just they don't take into account everyone's high mortgage payments which eats up about half of people's joint incomes. As I've now got another one on the way I am trying to work it that I can stay off next year as I won't be able to afford to lots of childcare. I'll prob have to go work sunday's somewhere or evenings to manage it. It makes me mad that they don't base it on your current income, but then that would mean applying commonsense to their methods

Anyway, good luck with it all. Don't forget - exact details will save you a lot of bother!

[Slickbird]

sorry, 'two lots of childcare'

[hopefully]

I have visions of that happening Slickbird, particularly as my circs will change (birth), then my pay will change (drop from full to stat pay in Jan) then will stop (from May, so next tax year).

Fortunately we can (just) afford to only use the bare minimum from tax credits and keep the rest in a savings account (not that I'm expecting much, as we are near upper threshold when both earning) until the middle of the next tax year, when hopefully we will know if we've been overpaid.

I thought they took current pay into account if it was lower than last year's though?

[Slickbird]

they do take you current earnings as a guestimate for the coming year as well to help make their assessment but no one i've spoken to has been able to tell me how this info is applied to your award.

[Slickbird]

In fact, I get told different things depending on who I speak to!!

[lollipopmother]

Hopefully - Where did you get the forms for tax credits from? I thought that they are given to us once we've actually had the baby, I don't want to miss out.

[ObsidianBlackbirdMcNight]

you have to call the tax credits helpline and they will post them to you.

[lollipopmother]

Ok, thanks. I've just been on the website and I must have filled in the form wrong because it says we're entitled to a lump sum of £282 and although we both earn a good wage I was expecting it to be more than that, seeing as I will actually only be 'earning' SMP rather than a wage. I used my P60 for 2007/8, but I went on maternity leave in mid-July, shouldn't this be accounted for?

[Slickbird]

Yes they will take that into account. I think they disregard the first 100 pounds of it and take the rest into consideration. It's all so bloody complicated, designed to put you off, but I'm afraid I wouldn't be surprised if that's all you were getting - like I said, my income went to zero after my mat pay finished and they seriously were going to give me bugger all. I cried a lot and then went and found another job. Sorry. It's better to call them tho. (usually)