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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

AIBU to be super confused by tax credits or just being thick?

20 replies

gemmalou123 · 13/04/2011 18:57

I have no idea why they have reduced childcare element from £110.67 to £76.21 without telling me?
I have no idea when I am due to get the £500-odd quid thing (really need it due to dd needing new pushchair) or if it still exists?
I have no idea what I'm entitled to receive in the way of tax credits or other benefits I may be entitled to?
UUUURRRGGGGHHHHH!!!!

OP posts:

KaraStarbuckThrace · 13/04/2011 19:06

It's because they have reduced the amount you can claim from from 80% of the weekly cost to 70%.

I think you need to get a claim form for the Maternity grant from your MW.
You only get it if you are in receipt of certain benefits, IIRC and only for your 1st child.

use this to check what you should be entitled to

sprinklingsparkles · 13/04/2011 19:09

Have they change the maternity grant then? i got it for both of mine.

Gemma, you should be able to ask midwife, health visitor or job centre to see about everything your entitled too.

hth

KaraStarbuckThrace · 13/04/2011 19:12

There were 2. The health in pregnancy grant of £190 which was given to all mums, that was scrapped in January of this year.
The other is the Surestart Maternity grant of £500. That is only available to low income households expecting their first child.

sprinklingsparkles · 13/04/2011 19:15

Yeah i have just seen, my youngest was born 4 years ago. so there was no health grant, but did get the £500 maternity grant in both of my pregnancies, i cant believe they are only giving it for 1st borns now.

jester68 · 13/04/2011 19:18

When I had my youngest daughter last year I was able to claim the health in pregnancy grant for £190 plus the sure start materntiy grant for £500.

But since then they have scrapped the £190 grant.

Maternity grant is now changed. If baby is due or born on or after 11th april 2011 you can now only get the grant if there are no other children under 16 years old. Plus also have to be in receipt of certain benefits

FabbyChic · 13/04/2011 19:20

Do you have a child under 1? If so they do not pay for under 1 year olds anymore and as such that would have been removed from your entitlement.

Original poster

gemmalou123 · 13/04/2011 19:21

Last year i got £500-and-something with my tax credits in one lump, i think for just having a child or something to that effect..... unless i am imagining this! I then get weekly amount of childcare element- but i pay £160 p/w and there is no way £76.21 is 70% of that.
I had th £190 thing when i was pregnant, dd is 1 now if that means anything...
Aren't tax credits meant to send a statement type thingumy to let you know what you are due to recieve? Or a renewal pack or something like that or am I imagining that too?

Sorry, I'm sounding really thick now.

OP posts:

BooBooGlass · 13/04/2011 19:24

The £500 isn't a yearly thing. You got it as you had given birth and had a low income. That's now been scrapped for subsequent pregnancies, and tbh I think rightly so. Did they overpay you last year? It's possible you're repaying an overpayment, though if you haven't renewed I can't see how they'd know that.

KaraStarbuckThrace · 13/04/2011 19:26

Gemma if you have had the £500 grant already you certainly won't be getting it again - it is a one off payment! Same with the £190 grant.

Have you told the tax credits people that you childcare costs of £160p/w?

sprinklingsparkles · 13/04/2011 19:26

You will get a renewal pack, but they come anytime between now and june.

Have you looked on last years award letter, it should have your estimate for this years payments at the back.

Also having an under 1 awarded you more money, this was a bit extra called 'baby element' if your DD has not long turned 1 then this would be the reason of the decrease

KaraStarbuckThrace · 13/04/2011 19:26

Yes I think the baby element has now been scrapped.

missymarmite · 13/04/2011 19:32

What? Reducing childcare element to 70%? When did they do this? Why didn't I know?

After school club has just put up their fees, too! What the fuck?

Fuck, fuck, fuckity fuck!

Seriously? Oh god, what the hell?

KaraStarbuckThrace · 13/04/2011 19:44

Not being funny but it has been in the news quite a lot....

November 2010!

Original poster

gemmalou123 · 13/04/2011 19:50

Yes it has been in the news a lot, but doesn't mean it makes sense!

OP posts:

missymarmite · 13/04/2011 19:57

most of the people I work with are LP, none of them have mentioned this either, so it isn't just me.

Bastards. What the hell are we going to do now?

I'm going to have to quit my TA job and get a crappy minimum wage temporary job so I can work locally and get rid of the car. And then by the end of the summer, I will be on bloody benefits. Crap.

KaraStarbuckThrace · 13/04/2011 20:11

Sorry about that missy :( It is utterly shit!

But if you are claiming any type of benefit it is your responsibility that you keep yourself informed of any changes to ensure you are claiming everything you are entitled to because the government aren't going to run after you to say "Oi, you forgot to claim this!"

There has been an awful lot of press lately about benefits being reduced and frozen so it is you interest to keep up to date on how these changes will affect you.

I did post a link earlier where you can check to see what you should be getting.

missymarmite · 13/04/2011 20:18

Thanks Kara. I really don't know how I missed this info, TBH. Feeling utterly crap and really tearful now. I am so fed up with trying to cope all the time on my own, struggling to make ends meet. I have really tried so hard to be as independent as possible, to not be on benefits, to make a good life for DS. This just takes the biscuit. I would just like someone else to take the load for a change.

Sorry to hijack the thread.

Bogeyface · 13/04/2011 20:21

Missy, it depends on what your income is as to what happens. Some people will actually be getting more and also, your tax allowance will increase by one thousand pounds so will be a few quid a week better of there too as you wont be paying so much tax. If you are low paid then there is a good chance your payments will go up.

Ring them tomorrow and check, I did because I wasnt sure what was going on and they took me through the changes. We arent getting anymore, but we arent getting that much less either.

KaraStarbuckThrace · 13/04/2011 20:22

No don't be sorry. The changes are hitting low income households a lot, you won't be alone in really feeling the pinch now :(

Mummywalsh · 13/04/2011 20:46

Remember to claim HB if you're renting, if you are then inform them your TC have gone down as you may be entitled to more to help towards your rent.

Also, depending how old LO is, you may be able to claim free nursery place (as per 3yr olds) for your 2yr old depending on your circumstances.

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