Tax credits help please

[pinkyp]

I am just filling out a new claim for as i have had some changes in my circumstances and tax credits said i need to make a new claim. Anyway i was reading the bit where it said income from apr 2009 - apr 2010 and it said you can deduct the first £100 from smp of your total earnings amount - i didnt know this (it doesnt apply yet anyway).

Thing is my smp starts today (18th oct) for 39 weeks so does that mean when i renew next year i can deduct £2500 from my total income? (25 weeks from now til april) If this is the case after i've renewed i'll end up with more tax credits wont i as it'll have the £2500 missing?

Also (sorry to be a pain) it doesnt ask for an estimate for next years earnings so do i send of this claim for then ring them up as tell them my estitmate income for 2010/2011? Do i give them the figure with my smp at £100 a week deducted from my total earnings?

Yes fill in form as normal. As z
Soon as award notice issued you can ring up with revised figure

thank you thats what i thought to do. Cant find my friggin child benefit number anywhere!! lol

Good luck with finding it- its not the number on your bank statement BTW.
If you really cant find it still send from without delay.

cant find it anywhere, phoned them up and they are sending me it through the post.Might ring tax credits and ask if i can send my form off and ring then with my mum when i get it, what u think?

if you get an awards notice which is based on different figures to your current earnings, can you just ring them up then? They told us we had to write and appeal the awards notice, couldn't do anything over the phone.

Annoyed now.

Its not a new claim is it? You have claimed before? Just send it....seriously not worth the delay.

The amount of tax credits claims I have seen without Child benefit numbers in my previous job is unbelievable!

Shrinkingviolet If your estimated income for current year changes then yes you just ring them up.

so how long will it take them to deal with the letter we've sent them? They've been less than helpful on the phone so far (when we've managedto get through). Complicated situation in that we've both been in and out of employment this year so far (temporary contracts) but the rest of the year will be building up a self employed business, so no idea what (if any) profits there will be. Maybe having set it all out on paper will mean someone actually understands what's happened, it's been dreadful trying to explain on the phone.

It does sound too complicated...(well not to me!) You have had lots of changes in employment, resulting in lots of variations in predicated earnings and now you have started your own business you dont know what your earnings will be.

They may have asked for it in writing as you have had lots of changes. Do you send it recorded and trackable. If not do that and keep a copy.

I would call them again and ask for advice. Is your income much lower than last year?

um, drastically lower, yes!

TBH I got the impression that we were being fobbed off on the phone, and they weren't really listening, just kept on repeating "any appeal needs to be in writing"

Ring again to report change.
If appeal mentioned ask why you need to appeal, speak to supervisor, make a complaint. Basically stamp your feet and then report back!

Yes it is a new claim completely. Rang up and the mr was very helpful! Told me to send it without child benefit number and ring up later when i get it. I also explained that i'd just gone on mat leave which means my income will be seem as lower for this tax year(as you deduct the first £100 from smp for every week you get it off your earnings) so he said write a covering letter stating that whatnext years estimated income will be for me and dh.

shrinking violet - my income varies (depending on ovetime) - so i give an estimate at the begining of the year and ring up a few times throughout the year and tell them i want to change my estimated income to (as the year goes on i geta better idea of what it will be) and they do it on the phone then and there for me.