Sorry Tax Credits Question - WHY DO PAYMENTS DROP WHEN DS IS ONE? DOES HE GET CHEAPER TO LOOK AFTER??..........

[mumfor1sttime]

Hi all,

Just wondered what people thought about the fact that your Child Tax Credit drops when your child is over 1 year old??

My payments have dropped from £130 a month to £77.

I wondered what other experiences people have had relating to this.

Anyone? Maybe you are all fed up with tax credits.....

I think I look at it the other way round. You get double allowance for baby's first year. I think, because you do spend a fair bit in the initial months that you don't have to spend once you've got the cot, the bottles (if nec), etc etc. And they do use fewer nappies as they get older.

Im not getting any at all at the moment because of their f*ck ups. Dont get me started on this grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

parp.

My dh is getting fed up with it, he cant do over time at the moment as it affects the yearly figures and we will probably have to owe them money if he does.
Dh said - dont bother claiming, I can earn more doing overtime - but then I would literally never see him.

I got most of my baby stuff second hand or given to me.

Think its odd that I have to now have to pay for my dental care and prescriptions and live on almost £60 less a month. Sorry just wanted to rant.

I certainly got a bit of a shock, mumfor1sttime. Exactly same as you, hadn't clocked that it would work that way. We didn't spend anything really on dd month to month in the first year so I didn't read it as reflecting her actual costs at all; I took it as being an indication that mothers were being 'encouraged' to go back to work in some form or other and felt pretty riled about it.

Thanks to their mess up I missed out on the first years payments (yes, the whole bloody year!) and they won't give it back!

I hate them - got a massive pile of paperwork all to do with tax credit mess !!

I hate the too they want my figures by tuesday asking me for them today.

The payments drop at 3 as well, mine has just got down.

I cant believe what I am reading! No payments for a year?! Unbelievable. I sometimes feel like telling them to stick it and just do overtime, at least you know how much you have coming in.

Didnt know payments dropped at 3 either! Just in time for preschool! lol. They pick their timing dont they.

Spots - have since learned that the Government do not encourage people to work, only sit at home!

More work you do, less money or help you get.

they get more expensive, ime. playgroup fees, lessons, specialised clothes - wellies, smocks, etc, activities, etc.

I'm fairly sure payments don't drop at 3. I think they must have based that on something else.

Payments denifinatly don't drop when children turn 3 they stay the same till they turn 16 or 19 and come off the award. Must be some other reason why your payments have gone down.

they dont drop at 3.

you do get a baby bonus for the 1st year tho.

Mine didn't drop at 3.

Purple turtle - agree that things do get more expensive as they grow! Dreading buying new school shoes, trousers etc.

They Government fail to tell you that the tax credit you get for first year is a lot more than after first year. Dh really needs some new glasses, but we cant afford them at the moment.