to think as an intelligent woman I should understand tax credits?

[PrincessScrumpy]

Dh and I earned a but more than expected this year. It's about £700 so I assumed we'd owe done tax credits back. We only get the family bit (not childcare or working as we earn above the thresholds). So I'm rather surprised to receive an additional £23 as a one off payment. If we told them a lower amount originally, how have they under paid us? Feels like a lottery draw each year and completely unpredictable add the calculator never comes out the same as the reality. Baffling.

Some not done

I don't understand them either. But I think they disregard increases underneath a certain threshold in case, for example, one parent gets a pay rise mid way through the year. You may find that your payment reduces a bit next year instead, on the basis of this year's figure. I'm just grateful to get them and never question the logic!

But I think they disregard increases underneath a certain threshold in case, for example, one parent gets a pay rise mid way through the year.

Yeah, they do. I had a (small) pay rise recently and a small change to childcare amounts so I phoned to tell them about both but they said that they didn't actually make any difference to my award. Which is nice, but I did check that the call was being recorded!

No one understands tax credits!! I do think that there are levels of pay bands where you could earn more and not get penalised. They would never tell you what those are of course!!

I lost my job last year and our tax credits went right down we've been absolutely skint since then but we were still overpaid according to our renewal letter - I give up?

Even tax credits don't understand tax credits.