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Original poster

Husbands job and SMP finished! Tax credits advice?

30 replies

Betsyboop1 · 01/04/2017 15:26

Hi everyone.. so my husbands job ended at end of March and as I go back to work at beginning of July after 12 months maternity leave I'm now at the point of being paid diddly squat for 3 months!
Even though he was working part time my husband is also just finishing his degree so classed as a full time student also.
I've notified tax credits we have no income at present. So do you think we will be entitled to the free 2 year childcare for my toddler now? Anyone else been in this position or a tax credits expert? As no idea what new award will say!
Thanks in advance!

OP posts:
MiniAlphaBravo · 01/04/2017 15:27

Notify work that you want to go back asap?

StealthPolarBear · 01/04/2017 15:28

No specific advice sotry but can you go back earlier? Any arrangements you made at the beginning can be changes

irnbruaintjustforscots · 01/04/2017 15:31

You won't be entitled to free childcare for a two year old.

This almost exclusively goes to children who are deemed vulnerable.

MoreThanUs · 01/04/2017 15:33

You need to go back to work while your DH finds another job!

seven201 · 01/04/2017 15:34

Sorry, I know this isn't what you asked but I too think you need to go back to work sooner. Not many people take the full 12 months.

Original poster
Betsyboop1 · 01/04/2017 15:34

I have a toddler and baby so wanted to take the 12 months but just wondered if anyone else had been in same position and got any free childcare? And there is a restructure in my work at the moment so if I went back now it would have to be full time as they can't confirm a part time position til afterwards.

OP posts:
clumsyduck · 01/04/2017 15:37

I think tax credits are based on the previous year so your renewal will reflect last years earnings . I'm sure I got more once I was back in work after maternity leave and when I rang to query they said it's because It was based on last years earning which were obviously low due to been on maternity pay so I'm not sure they work like you have no income now so they'll go up now iyswim . I'd call them

Temporaryanonymity · 01/04/2017 15:39

You have the right to return to your job though, by giving notice. Have they consulted with you regarding the changes at work?

Babyroobs · 01/04/2017 15:42

Are you already getting tax credits at the moment? They will base next years award on last years income but you can then ring them back with an estimate of next years income. The problem you have is that it will be hard to estimate as you don't know when your dh will get another job. You need to be careful of not ending up with an overpayment next year. As others have said I would be going back to work earlier than planned, full time if necessary as your dh will be home with the kids surely ? And why would you need free childcare if your dh is not working or is he still studying?

anyoldname76 · 01/04/2017 15:48

is your dh studying? i think you need to ask your employer if you can start back sooner

LIZS · 01/04/2017 15:48

Would it not be more sensible to g back now? Presumably he could do some childcare pending getting further pr work or a job on graduation.

NSEA · 01/04/2017 15:50

Why do you need free childcare if you're not working? I think free childcare aged 2 is for parents who work minimum wage for minimum no. Of hours a week.

Babyroobs · 01/04/2017 15:54

I don't understand why you would want to be more reliant on benefits and have 2 of you at home for 3 months and one child in childcare? it doesn't make sense. I think you only get the 2 year funding if your income is under £16k which when you go back to work and your dh gets another job is unlikely to be the case unless you are both in very low paid part time jobs, so surely the 2 year funding would end when your circumstances changed anyway.
It would make sense for you to go back to work asap ( unless you are confident your dh can find another job quickly), then when your dh finds a job look for childcare. if you are on low incomes you will get working tax creidts to help with the cost of childcare anyway.

Babyroobs · 01/04/2017 16:04

Also I don't think the 2 year early education programme is anything to do with tax credits, places are allocated by local authorities I think.

irnbruaintjustforscots · 01/04/2017 16:08

Yes, it's for children deemed vulnerable. A lot of the children actually have a parent at home.

thepatchworkcat · 01/04/2017 16:10

We got some tax credits as I was working part time and partner was studying, that meant we did get some free hours childcare for our two year old that I hadn't been expecting. I wouldn't have classed him as vulnerable.

thepatchworkcat · 01/04/2017 16:11

But yes they work out tax credits on previous tax year anyway

Babyroobs · 01/04/2017 16:15

Op has your DH put in a job seekers Job seekers allowance claim? Or is he going back to study soon?

Original poster
Betsyboop1 · 01/04/2017 16:20

Thanks thepatchworkcat

The reason I asked this question was because this info is on the .gov website:
Eligibility for 2-year-olds

Your 2-year-old can get free early education and childcare if you get one of the following:

Income Support
income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
Universal Credit
tax credits and you have an annual income of under £16,190 before tax
the guaranteed element of State Pension Credit
support through part 6 of the Immigration and Asylum Act
the Working Tax Credit 4-week run on (the payment you get when you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit)
A child can also get free early education and childcare if any of the following apply:

they’re looked after by a local council
they have a current statement of special education needs (SEN) or an education, health and care (EHC) plan
they get Disability Living Allowance
they’ve left care under a special guardianship order, child arrangements order or adoption order

I imagine quite a few parents meet the first set of criteria, even if it is short term.
I've never been in this position before so was just asking a question. I didn't expect to have such judgmental responses but my bad! I've learnt my lesson!

OP posts:
Babyroobs · 01/04/2017 16:24

All I was saying is that you probably qualify for a term or so but then once your income rose you wouldn't ( unless it lasts for a whole academic year or something).
Also you are intentionally staying off work for another 3 months even though you have a job to go to, you are not unemployed you are just choosing to take 3 months unpaid. I'm not sure whether this is considered when places are allocated.

flowery · 01/04/2017 16:26

"I have a toddler and baby so wanted to take the 12 months"

That may be the case but you're clearly not in the fortunate position of being able to afford to do that, are you? Same as most people really. You've got a full time job to walk back into, so you need to do just that, not faff about with telling tax credits you have no income. You do have income available to you.

irnbruaintjustforscots · 01/04/2017 16:27

They probably do meet the criteria OP but it's a bit like council housing; in theory anybody can get it but in practice they rarely do.

At any rate you do have a job even if you have elicited not to go back to it yet so your two year old is unlikely to be offered a place with one working adult and one adult at home.

Northernlurker · 01/04/2017 16:28

You need to go back to the the full time job you have as quick as you can. This is not a very sensible thread to start tbh.

Babyroobs · 01/04/2017 16:29

And if people are being judgemental it is because you are sounding like you want to stay off work another 3 months even though your dh is out of work and have free childcare with 2 parents at home and extra tax credits to fund it.
Whilst I can understand you wanting to be at home until your youngest is a year old, if you have no income coming in then sometimes plans have to change.

LIZS · 01/04/2017 16:30

But will you qualify for IS or UC as you are employed and your dh might not be available to work enough hours for JSA. You probably wouldn't have long to resolve this in time for the summer term (funding is termtime only) and nursery/preschool often limit the number of funded places available. What are your dh's plans once finals are done?