tax credits, income support and working can anyone help?

[wishinguponmanystars]

Until I can get through on the phone can anyone help me,

ive just started a new job on zero hours contract what happens with tax credits and income support if for example some months my average are below 15 hours per week and some months im over 16 hours per week.

Obviously I know if its over 16 hours a week income support stops and you can claim working tax credits but im not sure what happens any weeks I work under and I cannot predict the hours I will work.

Anyone?

I had this problem when I started on a zero hr contract. I would always try stick to under 16 hours to start with as I was never going to get more than 16 so this just kept it simple. I did over Xmas pick up a few extra shifts per week so called tax credits. He was honest and said zero contracts are a pain in the bum and made it clear it was up to me to call each week to say how many hrs I had worked so they could adjust my claim. He also say that they can average it over a month if one wk was say 15 hours and next was 18 hours. It was so pain staking though that I ended up leaving for a job where I was guaranteed set hours