£500 one off payment tax credits.

[Hey2492]

Apologies for not posting in the right area but thought it may reach a lot of people!

Dp got a text today to say that one off payments of £500 are being paid by 23rd April. I didn’t think we would be eligible. Is it just a generic text sent to everyone or just those entitled? I thought it was only for those on working tax credits, we only get child tax credits I believe.

To clarify. Dp works and has worked all the way through the pandemic and earns around £30,000 a year. I am currently a stay at home mum to out two children who both have additional needs. The bulk of our child tax credits are based on my children receiving disability living allowance rather than dp’s earnings. We do get some based on his earnings though.

I am really clueless 😂 I thought tax credits were eventually being changed over to universal credit too. We still get ‘tax credits’ and not universal credit.

Advice for a confused mum.

We own our own home and don’t get any other benefits apart from the DLA my children get and the tax credits (obviously child benefit too). £500 would be very appreciated!

Tia.

Obviously if you are not entitled to benefits or CTC then you are over the income threshold.
As you are no doubt aware, DLA is not means tested and therefore does not necessarily indicate a low income

Vague answer. I'm still not wiser !

Chocolate teapot effect 🤣

Something I read said letters don’t get posted till next Monday and I’ve not read anywhere yet of anyone getting a letter so taking their time clearly.

Here’s the bit I saw about letters also makes it sound like the payment will be on the 23rd.

@Flumpy110313 I have that message too. Why did they not make it clearer lol

@AlohaMolly

The help to save account is really good, I’ve had mine 2 years so far and didn’t manage to pay £50 in every month, but got £260 back as the bonus in February. The way it works is it’s a savings account for four years. You can put a maximum of £50 in a month. At the end of two years you get 50% back so if you saved £500 you get £250. The bonus starts again at £0 and whatever you manage to save from years 2-4 you get 50% again, so if you save another £500, you’ll get £250, plus the full £1k back when they close your account at the end of the four years. So you’ve saved £1k plus got £500!

This sounds good. Do u know if this is available to everyone or is there an income threshold?

It seems very dis jointed all we want to know is when lol

@Alwaysandforeverhere why waste money on a letter and why so far away. 😂. I don't understand why they made the text messages like a bloody code.
Why not make it clear, all the money they have wasted with their staff being asked this question over and over again. And even their answers you can tell they don't have a clue 😂🤦🏼‍♀️

Hi everyone, I found out through twitter that payments can be any time of day between now and 23rd april. Would upload the screenshot if I knew how xx

It’s so unclear. They’ve made it a nightmare to find out.

Would really like too see what they said its doing my head in!

Wonder if they can be held accountable for lack of clarity? Is there something called the crystal clear mark for communication ?

To be honest, it should just come up on your tax credits payment summary as a one off payment. Easy. But obviously simplicity is not HMRCs strong point. I have to wonder what sort of idiot makes these decisions and it is possible they are paid for such cock ups.

No one knows .

And another

My God, like the country isn't in enough debt!

The eligibility criteria is made via central government. HMRC itself just administers the payments, it doesn't control the decisions on who qualifies and how much it will be. The reason Tax Credits goes via HMRC is because originally WTC was part of the PAYE system and the employer paid it to the employee via their wages, then when it changed over to the current system (or an early version of it) HMRC already had the staff and resources so it stayed under their remit. It's pointless asking the contact centre staff about who is making the decisions or how eligibility is decided, they don't have anything to do with that side of things.

@eatsleepread

My God, like the country isn't in enough debt!

I don't understand what you mean? This is instead of £20 per week. It's being paid in one payment

The welfare system is not why the country is in debt.

Isn’t pensions the most paid for thing anyway....

Families that work (even with one bread winner), shouldn't need top ups. We are in this predicament as a country due to inflations, prices increases (esp house house prices), and no one ever stopping it! Wages didn't go up with house prices.
However people who claim tax credits are now seen as scrounges.
It's so frustrating. My hubby works 40 hours a week (quite a good job really he trains and checks quality for our local council, yet not enough to live off),
I use to work part time until I had my second , 1 reason for that was my hubby was made redundant and his new job meant different hours (I use to work 5.30-10) and he works 10.30-9pm), also my 2 actually had disabilities and getting childcare as we have no family to help and getting to all their apts was just impossible....

Well said.

A minimum wage that isn't enough to live on, zero hour contracts that benefit employers more than employees, the gig economy, rising housing costs, and childcare costs mean its impossible for millions of families to make ends meet without this support. Instead of being angry at people who claim Tax Credits, that anger should be saved for the employers - especially larger employers with profit margins in the multi-millions - who pay employees such a low wage that government money is needed to enable them to live.

As well as the rental sector which takes advantage of everyone who cannot afford to or are unable to buy creating hardship and unrealistic rental prices.

@Tink2007 totally! Me and hubby for 5 years before our first was working full time, bank wouldn't give us a mortgage. We left home at 18 and didn't have the opportunity to stay at home to save for a deposit! Our rent was £650 a month (not posh basic for our area). A mortgage on a property the same size would of been £400 a month!
Luckily We have council house now (only due to children being disabled we got one). Or for a 3 bed we would be paying £950 plus. A mortgages would be far cheaper......
it's craziness. I'm gutted and feel we missed our opportunity to buy. In the end we paid 10 years of private rent. Never had a penny of housing Ben and would of prob bought our house nearly by now as never faltered on a Payment after 16 years of renting.