Tax credits going down help and advice needed.

[napoleonsnose]

I'm just going through some paperwork and have just dug out our tax credits award notice for the year 2013/14. According to HMRC for the next tax year 2014/15 our tax credits are due to go down firstly by £70 a month and the by another £100 from August. My DD is 16 but will be staying on in full time education after her GCSEs. When I punched our figures into both the entitled2 and turn2us calculators the figures actually are projected to come out as slightly more than we currently get.

I'm thinking that they have worked out their projected figures based on DD leaving education and averaging the award out over the year, but giving us slightly more from now until August whilst she is still in school. Please reassure me that this is the case otherwise I'm going to be up shit street! I work 14 hours a week and DH works 40 and our combined income for next year is going to be roughly £20.5K with two DC, 16 and 14.

Not sure whether to call them or not as I've just rung the Child Benefit office and they told me that tax credits cannot be updated to reflect 16 year olds until 17th April. Trouble is, my tax credits are due next week at the lower rate which is going to bugger up my budget for next month completely.

From what I remember from working there, the payments will not be reflected to show she is staying on. When it reaches the new term and it is confirmed that she is staying on you should contact them and let them know she is staying in higher education. This should then generate a new award notice. Obviously you will get a better understanding of your award entitlement when you do your renewal in the next couple of months with confirmed figures. I can't be sure as it is a couple of years since I worked there but hopefully you get it sorted

I was told when I phoned them about that last week as I noticed mine would also drop from august that I also can't advise them my dd was staying on at school till 17th April. Have put a reminder in my diary to phone back then.

Blimey I didn't know about this..
Dd finishes school this year and hoped to go to sixth form. So do I need to ring them and tell them this . Thought all children had to stay in education until 18 now