Tax credits help!

[PrettyMeerkat]

Can someone please explain tax credits to me (I know I am being thick). My DH works full time, I do a bit. We have 2 children but don't use paid childcare. So what type should we be getting?

I have looked at a statement I found and can see that we get the family element. When it comes to the working tax credit it is reduced to 0 because of our income which is about 37,000.

Do you have to be paying for childcare to get working tax credit (not just the family element)?

I have been onto the website and put in all the details but whether I work 7 hours a week or 18 makes no difference to the amount we get.

I even put in that I pay for childcare as an experiment and although the amount went up we still didn't get working tax credit.

Thanks!

working tax credit is for families/people on very low incomes

child tax credit is given to people who have children and don't earn much

Childcare element is for families on lowish incomes that will assist in paying up to 70% of their childcare costs

there is a calculator in here

Thank you!