tax credits

[sickofhusband]

Hi ,I have an appointment at citizens advice but it's not for a few weeks and have loads of other stuff to ask but this is bothering me and wondered if anyone would know.
As a couple we are currently paying back an overpayment of tax credits and get the minimum amount , my marriage has broken down and i am wondering what will happen if we split?
Would i be able to claim as a single person with 3 children or not?
I work but don't earn a great amount.
I haven't rung them as i find it really stressful trying to get information from the tax credit people and they often get it wrong hence the overpayment!
Thanks

Short answer is 'yes'. You claim as a household and, if your new household income comprises only your earnings, then your claim is made on that basis. Maintenance payments are not classed as income for Tax Credit purposes. If you want an idea of how much you may be entitiled to I can recommend using the online benefits calculator at the Turn2Us website

Thanks, i have had a look .
Do you know if it's acurate?

IME it's very good. At the very least it gives you the right ball-park so that, if the award comes in and it's a lot higher or a lot lower than the Turn2Us figure, you have good grounds for querying it and are less likely to be over or underpaid for long.