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)

You used to be getting a similar amount as us but we have a higher household income (also three DC). You were possibly being underpaid in the past? .

I'm shocked by my renewal, but not in a good way unfortunately. They've gone down by £100 per week, and I no longer get help with childcare. Can't bloody win with that lot it seems

Maintenance isn't counted because if they counted it they'd actually have to do something about the farce that is the CSA/CMS.

There are a number of people who get lots of maintenance who will benefit from this policy, but the alternative is kids end up in the situation my household was in when I was a child. My father was supposed to pay £68 a week. So when my Grandad was made redundant and had to claim benefits that £68 a week was counted as income. Except no-one ever managed to get the money from him. So my grandparents were left £68 a week short.

Rent, bills and food can't be bought with money you should get, or even money you are entitled to get and I'd bet there would be far more kids in my position than there would be those living a life of luxury on huge sums of maintenance.

At that income, even going from 1 child to 2 would make a difference to your award. We are around that income and get nothing, but I understand it will go up to around £50 a week once DC2 is here (I think) . So a third would obviously go up again (under the current system).
I also understand there will be some protection if universal credit means your payment goes down.

I don't understand how having a newborn baby costs an extra £50 a week, especially if it's a second child. An extra teenager could easily cost £50 a week but a newborn baby?

The whole tax credit system is crap. I have 2 children and get £150 a month tax credit when my ds finishes college soon I will get £0. So the whole £150 must have been for that one child and the other got nothing!

sounds wrong.

we are getting £/53 and have about 20k coming in with 2 kids (one disabled so we are getting the disability element too).

No op if you have children under 13 you only need to earn national minimum wage X 35 hours plus national minimum wage X around twenty hours.

Billy it's because the earning threshold is lower for one child than two.

Yours definitely sounds wrong whatamess

A few years ago our total income was 20k and we got around 90 p/w for 2 dc (no disability element)

and Billyray that is shit too ! How unfair

I agree with what a PP said -- they pluck the amounts out of thin air

BTW I went on entitled to and it came out around the same

Here's the table from gov.uk. Looks like you should be getting a touch more!

Completely bonkers system where some get more than they need while others struggle to get by.

thanks. will dig ppwk out and look into it. we are really struggling esp as we both can only work part time due to caring responsibilities for dc1.

I don't think it's the tax credit system that's the problem it's high rental costs.

they pluck the amounts out of thin air

Of course they don't.

no clearly they don't really fivemins but you have to admit it does seem that way sometimes!

Our total income is about the same, we have two teenagers and we receive 190.00 per month ct credits

Re: couples having to work 70hours to get UC. You don't. I'm not sure where anyone would get that information from but it's definitely not right . UC covers current JSA/Disability, housing benefit and tax credits-both child and working. Both parts of a couple WILL be expected to either work or be looking for work however (once children are certain age), so there will be no claiming on behalf of someone else anymore, but 70hrs is not correct at all.

i have a friend that doesnt claim anymore cuz fed up of paying back. (she was paid on comission. so how can u predict what u earn) she sees it as more of a loan and has just given up with them. we end up oweing every year too. x

You get so much more for a third?!?! I was going by having the childcare element thrown in. Think I may be on the phone to them. Judging by the image above, without childcare we're being short changed and that bit of extra money a week could really benefit us.

That being said, DH is losing his job earlier than thought. Will be ringing them a week Wednesday anyway for the official renewal to sort all that out. Will discuss then.

Sorry that should have been if I took out childcare, we're being short changed. Definitely short changed with the childcare.

this is why the intention was going forward to restrict CTC to 2 children only - but the gnashing and wailing from those who felt 'entitled' for each child above 2 resulted in a u-turn. It really is an insane system

We got over paid £150 so they are taking it out of tc payment next month spread out my arse!

The tc system is unfair in my opinion and don't get me started on the pip one

mollie I thought it was cb being restricted to 2 children. I've got to admit that I've never really followed it all as I don't intend to have any more children now I have my 2. It took a long time for DH to be happy with trying for one and then a long time for me to consider the second after a horrible experience with DD1!