Please could someone help me with some benefits questions? Very confused.

[SparklyReindeerShit]

Ok, basically I don't understand the whole child tax credits/ working tax credits and even having stared unblinking studied the appropriate websites I still can't work things out.
So, I keep reading that families can earn up to 50/60k and still receive some form of benefits? I've used the calculators and we don't qualify for anything even though we earn significantly less.
I've also read that sahm's need to keep claiming something so they don't lose their NI stamp?
Argh! So confused. Does it all depend on other thing? Not just income?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Tia

I think once you're income reaches about £26k (joint) you get very little. Possibly some childcare help after that.

Number of children makes a huge difference. Families on £60k getting help with childcare (for eg) would have at least 3+ children.

Ghost, that's initially what I'd thought but I keep reading contradicting things. I really need an idiots guide as it just doesn't make any sense to me. Looking at the moneysavingexpert website it tells you 'thresholds' but they seem really high?

Have a look at these tables, check the one for your circumstances
www.gov.uk/government/collections/tax-credits-entitlement-tables

If you have an income up to £65k and have three children in childcare, you could get up to £450 a year.

If you are a SAHM then this is probably the right info for you www.gov.uk/government/publications/tax-credits-entitlement-table-working-at-least-16-hours-and-no-childcare/tax-credits-entitlement-table-working-at-least-16-hours-and-no-childcare

Up to £25k you'd get some money, up to £35k you'd also get a bit if you have 3 children.

The tax credits for higher earners btw are for childcare so if you're a sahm the cut off will be significantly lower.

The 'up to £60k' bit might also e referring to Chd Benefit. You are entitled to child benefit for each child, but have to either stop claiming or pay some back via the higher earners tax code of he/she earns over £50k.

So yes, in theory you could be getting 'benefits' with a salary of £65k, but not many of us think of Child Benefit as the same as other benefits because it was universally until recently.

Right, thank you all! Think that explains things a bit more. Just been confused as friends who both work and earn more than us are claiming quite a lot but maybe their circumstances are not what they seem.
Massive thanks!

It's probably because they have childcare costs. To know if you should qualify or not, you'd have to say how many children you have and a ballpark figure of the household income.

Without any childcare costs the thresholds are roughly £26k for one child, £32K for two, £38k for three, £45k for four and go up with each child! With childcare on top they are higher. I think if you claim child benefit if you are a sahm it protects your NI payments.

I was a single mother of one, working self-employed for 16 hours per week, and I got £136pw in WTC/CTC. I could've claimed up to 70% of my childcare costs too, but I had community funding for those so I didn't chance it!

Now that I'm a mother of 2 in a live-in relationship (so joint claim), we're entitled to £93pw and bugger all in childcare costs.

Have you tried the entitled to calculator? Asks all about your circumstances and then tells you what you can claim...although having just read the OP again, I think you might have, but will post the link in case it helps anyone else.

What is your confusion? Because you are going to get a lot of different conflicting answers here. We get child tax credit, I was a sahm, and DP earnt over £26k. I have 3 children. So, if you are not claiming and think you are entitled you need to ring them. There are differing elements, its nit a straight forward calculation. You have to ring them. It depends on your personal circumstances and if there is a change then you have to let tgem know.