To think people have known for a year that Tax Credits were changing...

[hoops997]

so should have budgeted for it? I have lost £100 a month but knew I would so for a year I've reigned in my spending to compensate for it......

hoops surely as a single parent then you won't be affected??

i thought it was just couples working less than 24 hrs per week that were losing WTC??
maybe i'm just dumb

...and doesn't everyone's award notice predict a lesser amount for the following year in case you happen to earn more this yr than expected? it is never accurate

you might find that yours will be adjusted back up to what it was...whilst the couples remain buggered

debeez sorry that made me almost choke on my tea

OP I can sort of see where you're coming from but what do want from this thread? For people to go 'yes you're so right, let me travel back in time and start cutting back on all that frivolous feeding of my children I was doing' or 'of course now I'll just increase my hours in the non-existent job market'. People at the boundaries may not have realised just how screwed thy'd be or worse yet have spent this last year worrying and stressing about how they're going to cope, but not have any extras to cut back on? What would you suggest they do?

Tax Credits is an utterly stupid complicated and unfair "benefit" but that is besides the point.

Single parents must work 16 hours, couples 24 hours. Personally I think it's not a lot to ask for couples to work 24 hours a week between them. Though I do have a certain amount of sympathy with regards to the transition period. I'd have liked to have seen this phased in over a longer period but that's just my opinion.

In OP's case I suspect if she's a single parent working 22 hours a week then she's lost money not because she's not working 24 hours a week but because of what she earns and the number of kids she has.

But have a for smugness. I'm sure those families who are already struggling to make ends meet will be thankful for your tactful post.