Help wit tax credit

[Sue1982]

Can anyone help me with my tax credits for 2012/2013. I'm a single parent working 40hrs per week and my annaul income is £18,000 before tax. I do not have any child care costs as my mother looks after my son. I'm concerened about the changes to tax credit as currently I only have about £150 left from my wages plus my TC each month after I have paid my rent and bills etc. I'm not sure if this makes a difference but I don't receive any child maintence payments.

there are calulators online that can work out what you will get for you

hth

The calculators for 2012/13 tax year haven't been published yet. The best place to keep looking, as they'll get them first, is either the Direct Gov website or the Turn2Us Benefits Calculator In the meantime, the HMRC site relating to tax credit changes from 2012 states that if your income is under £26,000 and you have one or more children, you will continue to qualify in 2012-13. Working 40 hours means that the new rules on working hours don't affect you.

In short, whilst I can't say that you will get the same amount, it looks as though the people who will lose out are those with an income more than £26000 or those that don't work the right hours.... leaving more in the pot for people like you who need the help most.

Should add... child maintenance payments are not included in Tax Credits calculations.

I've actually found the online calculators little use (although I admit I haven't used one for some years, they could be more accurate now). They tended to throw up seemingly random amounts most of the time.

CAB or Jobcentre maybe?

Can you try and claim any maintenance at all?

The Turn2Us one is pretty good. Even if the award you're eventually given isn't 100% what they estimated, it's useful to have a ball-park number in your head so you can query it if necessary.

The Lone Parent advisors at jc can be very good. Stupid question alert: Can you use them if you've never been on any benefit?

Tried the loan parent advisors but refused to help me as I'm in full time employment and I'm not classed as being on a low income. Makes we want to pack in my job and claim every benefit under the sun as many others do and seem to be better off - sorry for my rant but its so frustrating that nobody will even advise me whats best as I bothered to get of my backside and work for a living.