To be shocked at my tax credits review and think i am getting paid too much??

[FeelingSuddenlyRich]

I got my renewal pack today and about fell over. My award is £5160 - that's around 106 quid a week its gone up from about £65 a week I think.

Dh earns £25418 pa and works 45 hours a week, I am a SAHM (3 kids aged 2, 5 and 9) so No childcare element. All the details on the renewal look correct and matches DH income

I also know it will all end when UC comes in in my area as I will be made to also seek work for 35 hours (unless DH is then earning more)

So wondered if its worth ringing to double check as it seems overly generous not that I am complaining but I don't want to get whacked with an overpayment bill in the future...and also wondered if any one with similar circs ie sahm, dh on similar salary, 3 dc could say whether they get a similar amount (if that's not too nosey)

[AliceInUnderpants]

Check the entitledto calculator and see if the figures are similar.

[Mirandawest]

I just tried the entitled to calculator and it came out with about that much for someone in your situation

[GeorgeTheThird]

I get far too much. What I actually live on is money from ex H, (plus my wages which are less.). But they ignore the maintenance.

[StepintotheLightleave]

Interesting about it stopping soon, I wonder when UC will come out?

[Shannyfanny]

just check because if they make a mistake you will have to pay it back

[MrsPear]

So tax credits will stop when it becomes uc unless both parents are working f/t? I didn't know that.

[YellowShockedFace]

This is the kind of thread that the Daily Fail will be interested unfortunately.

[Kenduskeag]

Wha...? You can claim benefits at the same time as a 25k salary?

[OneMagnumisneverenough]

Why do they ignore maintenance in the calculations? Isn't it income like any other?

[FeelingSuddenlyRich]

So tax credits will stop when it becomes uc unless both parents are working f/t? I didn't know that.

yep you have to be both working at least 35 hours as I understand it

I will just stop claiming then anyway and look for work off my own back. am fucked if I will be made to go the jobcentre etc. as I still will get CSA and child benefit

and the the daily fail can kiss my ringpiece

[FeelingSuddenlyRich]

so sorry, was not that clear re UC. So: to be clear (re UC), a couple will need to be working 70 hours per week between them in order to claim

and also no CSA isn't calculated in tax credit calculations, no idea if it will be in UC

[Mirandawest]

Maintenance has been ignored in calculations for several years. I think it's maybe because you can't guarantee on it being paid.

[Mirandawest]

The working hours for UC are based on people working at minimum wage. So if you had one person working at higher than minimum wage then the other one wouldn't have to work as many hours (depending on what they were being paid of course).

And self employed people (after the first year I think) will be assumed to be making minimum wage

[smokeybandit]

Turn2us.org.uk has a good entitlement calculator which will show you what you will be entitled to under universal cedit as well as currently for a comparison.

But OP if you're worried, call and double check.

[OneMagnumisneverenough]

I'm gobsmacked that maintenance payments are not included as income. I get that the money is provided for the child but where do the think the majority of people's earned income goes if not to the raising of their children?

[chartmc]

do you recieve any housing benefit? our tax credits have gone up but now we r getting like hardly any housing benefit. i wouldnt get excited yet.. they will only take it from somewhere else. x

[Just5minswithDacre]

so sorry, was not that clear re UC. So: to be clear (re UC), a couple will need to be working 70 hours per week between them in order to claim

Need to be earning the equiv of 70hrs NMW between them in order to be left alone (not nagged )

[FeelingSuddenlyRich]

chartmc No, we don't get any HB as we have a mortgage (i'm seriously thinking of seeing if I can over pay on my mortgage just while I am getting this much, as tbh I was more than getting by on the old amounts)...that's crap they have reduced yours though, that's so unfair

And Oh sorry didn't know was 70 hours nmw (for uc) thought was any amount, I stand corrected lol (am in a FB group for universal credit advice and they like to scare monger I think :/ )

[Adelecarberry87]

That doesn't sound right that a couple would both have to work full time in order to get taxcredits or universal credit surely that would put them over the threshold to not be entitled to them? Also children care for minimum wage jobs isn't worth going to work for especially if you have two or three DC to care for. I worked a job 5 days a week to cater round collecting eldest DS1 DD starts nursery and I have a baby that job was only 25hours but it enabled me to take and collect DS from school. So I would then need additional childcare for the evenings? People would be far worse off than they ever been.

As for the tax credit award it does seem a little high I would query it as tax credits are useless.

[Elle80]

I'm really shocked you are getting this amount of tax credits to be honest, especially as you are not paying any childcare.

[Adelecarberry87]

I did notice in the renewal pack they are increasing free childcare from 15 hours for 3-4 years to 30 hours which will be a big help.

[FeelingSuddenlyRich]

are they adele didn't see that bit, that's good then, will really help a lot of parents. I was working when my middle one was that age and it used to be 12 or 15 I think which was hardly worth it

I will go and look on entitled to( although IME that's actually not always that accurate,) and I think I will phone TC as well

[StepintotheLightleave]

why would a couple need to be working 70 hours to claim?

Why would you want to claim if you were working 70 hours?

Seems very strange to me.

[honkinghaddock]

It sounds about right. You lose 41p of tax credit for every pound you earn over the threshold for getting max tax credits (which is 16k something). So you would lose around 3k leaving you with about 5k.

[motheroreily]

it seems a lot to me. I get half of that and I earn less than your partner and I pay childcare but then I only have one child and I really don't understand how they calculate it.

Check if your worried as pp said if they have overpaid you will need to pay it back.