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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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

100 replies

FeelingSuddenlyRich · 27/05/2016 13:51

I got my renewal pack today and about fell over. My award is £5160 - that's around 106 quid a week Shock 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)

OP posts:
Shakey15000 · 28/05/2016 09:11

The difference between 1-3 kids is staggering.

I don't get how (by the table posted above) someone earning 25k gets £495 for one child then it jumps roughly 3k for the second then the same again for the 3rd. Why isn't one child "valued" at 3k then? Confused

DeloresJaneUmbridge · 28/05/2016 10:13

I only have one child and am a Carer as he is disabled. It's about the same as I get with the disability enhancement.

boscros1 · 28/05/2016 11:03

Looking at that table for every £1k you earn over each band you loose £410. I've always thought it was very complicated but taking the time to look at it, it's pretty simple. I wasn't going to claim when I go on maternity leave but have realised now well get about £3k. My income drops drastically as I go from a good salary to stat maternity pay.

Original poster
FeelingSuddenlyRich · 28/05/2016 11:57

Yeah I thought it was still dropping to 2 dcs only?

OP posts:
Babyroobs · 28/05/2016 12:06

I think it's from 2017 that it's dropping to 2 children only, although that proposal could have been dropped when the other proposals to cut tax credit drastically were dropped earlier this year.

Babyroobs · 28/05/2016 12:08

And it will only be limited to 2 kids for new claimants, so anyone who already has a large brood can continue claiming for them presumably until they are 18 or they are no longer eligible.

crazymammy · 28/05/2016 12:37

Sorry for hijacking your thread slightly feelingsuddenlyrich I'm just a bit confused about the Universal Credit which has been mentioned. So I popped over to the turn2us website after reading comments about having to work 30+ hours a week etc. I popped in my info and although I don't quite work 30 hours a week it turns out my UC would be pretty much the same as my TC+WTC.
So.... You don't have to work 30+ hours per week to qualify?, which doesn't make sense anyway as then people would be over the income threshold. Found this bit which I've copied & pasted which may be helpful to others too....
What is Universal Credit (UC) transitional protection?
Transitional Protection is an extra 'transitional' amount which tops up your Universal Credit award so that you are not worse off when you move over to the new benefit.

byjimminey · 28/05/2016 12:41

I had a letter to say I have been overpaid and so my future payments will be reduced to make up for this. However, they don't tell me how much i was overpaid by and how long it will take to pay it back. I'm a bit too scared to ring and find out actually.

Looking at my new calculations my money is soon due to drop by quite a lot (around £65 a week less - yikes!) I am not earning hugely more than last year so I wonder if its because one of my children has just turned 16 and they assume he will be going to get a job. I remember writing to the Child benefit people to let them know he plans to stay on at school. They sent me a form to fill out. Do the tax credits people also send a form out or do we ring and tell them? Im sure I got another letter related to his age that I had to fill out but maybe that was to do with his National Insurance. Any ideas??

Just5minswithDacre · 28/05/2016 12:52

Looking at my new calculations my money is soon due to drop by quite a lot (around £65 a week less - yikes!) I am not earning hugely more than last year so I wonder if its because one of my children has just turned 16 and they assume he will be going to get a job. I remember writing to the Child benefit people to let them know he plans to stay on at school. They sent me a form to fill out. Do the tax credits people also send a form out or do we ring and tell them? Im sure I got another letter related to his age that I had to fill out but maybe that was to do with his National Insurance. Any ideas??

You need to tell TCs separately from CHB after the CHB for 16+ has been sorted out. If you read your renewal notice, they have probably provisionally removed him from your TC claim from September. After you speak to them, they'll add him back on as a 'young person'.

RedHelenB · 28/05/2016 12:53

tax credits get notified by child benefit but ring up in September just to make sure they know he is still in education. They did with mu dd.

Just5minswithDacre · 28/05/2016 12:53

(I'm pretty sure you do it over the phone. They'll check with CHB anyway)

m0therofdragons · 28/05/2016 13:10

Between dh and I we earned 36k and with 3dc got 288 a month. No idea why as we're comfortable imo. Now I'm earning more the calculator says we're not entitled but they still keep paying random amounts like £1.70 last week and £24 this week. It's infuriating.

NeedsAsockamnesty · 28/05/2016 13:18

I don't get how (by the table posted above) someone earning 25k gets £495 for one child then it jumps roughly 3k for the second then the same again for the 3rd. Why isn't one child "valued" at 3k then?

Because someone with one child has a lower earnings cut off that someone with more kids.

byjimminey · 28/05/2016 13:18

Thanks for the advice regarding 16 year olds!

Original poster
FeelingSuddenlyRich · 30/05/2016 10:40

motherof dragons

That's crazy you have the same amount of dc as us and earn 11K more and get nearly the same

(I don't begrudge you btw Blush)

OP posts:
LiquoriceAllsorts86 · 30/05/2016 11:49

This thread has worried me. I get carers allowance for my disabled son. Will I be made to work when UC is introduced? Who will look after my son? Confused

AndNowItsSeven · 30/05/2016 11:53

No carers won't have work conditionality.

TheWitchesofIzalith · 30/05/2016 12:08

I am totally confused by this. I have been a single mum for five years, ex-dh pays £230 per month child maintenence. I had to give up work 15 years ago due to long-term illness so am currently on LR DLA and and ESA.
I don't have any earnings or income from other sources and I get £256 child tax credit per month. Before ex and I parted we only got about £50 per month tax credit and that was with DH only earning £27, 000 a year and me not earning at all!
I don't begrudge anyone what they get and I thought my £256 a month seemed a lot...but now it doesn't compared to what some are getting, despite the fact they have a considerably higher income than I do.

I will have to double check using the websites mentioned.

AndNowItsSeven · 30/05/2016 12:26

How many DC do you have? £256 is the max for one child per month regardless of earnings unless your dc is disabled.

TheWitchesofIzalith · 30/05/2016 12:38

Ah, I see, thank you AndNowItsSeven- yes, I only have one ten year old.
That explains it.
Incidentally, I just did the benefits calculator on the Turn2Us website, and it confirmed that I am on the right amount of child tax credit. But it also says that when ( or if) I am eventually moved onto UC, I will get £2, 070 more than I do on the benefits it will replace Confused
I did not expect that.

Oh well. It's all very complex, it seems.

AndNowItsSeven · 30/05/2016 12:39

Are you sure that 2k wasn't housing costs?

TheWitchesofIzalith · 30/05/2016 12:42

Oh, ignore that last post from me, I made a schoolboy error. I'm actually going to be on practically the same amount, there is only a few pennies difference.

DuckAndPancakes · 30/05/2016 14:09

They decided to just stop my payments.

Because they received no information about me working last year (because I didn't) they've worked out our entitlement based on 14-15 when I did work and earned as well as DPs salary. DP earns 21,500 before tax and we were getting £120 a month for one child, which has now disappeared until we renew and they confirm.

They did the same to me when I was working and stopped my TC which included childcare, took them 15 months to pay that.

I hope to fuck maintenance doesn't start counting towards things, especially now they've shut down the CSA. For every person that's regularly getting money from their ex, there are those of us who have to beg and plead and still not get it regularly or fairly.

Babyroobs · 30/05/2016 14:22

Duck - Did you inform them that you were no longer working and that your income for the year would be halved?

DuckAndPancakes · 30/05/2016 14:26

Yep. I gave up work in Nov 14 and haven't worked since. When we did last years renewal I told them that I wouldn't be working this year and it would just be DP's income, which afaik is what they've been paying based on.
I don't work because I'm ill. I don't claim benefits because it's soul destroying and you have to jump through hoops to be told there is nothing wrong with you from people with no medical expertise. It's great.

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