Urgent help with tax credits

[MyGastIsFlabbered]

I've recently started paying for childcare and amended my claim for tax credits. I telephoned the helpline and they've told me my new award amount. When I checked online the new amount is under Child Tax Credits rather than working tax credits. I thought help with childcare for a working parent was paid under WTC.

This is pretty urgent, I'm trying to buy a shared ownership property and my eligibility is income based-they'll take WTC into account but not CTC...so I'm potentially ineligible despite having enough income on paper.

Mine is under CTC. Childcare costs are so variable, this is the one thing with tax credits that I have to change at least once a year. Unfortunate that it can't be counted as income, but understandable.

The childcare element comes under Child Tax credit for me too, not working tax credit.

Hi gast
Mine is under childcare element of working tax credit not child tax credit elements.

Hi gast

I think mine is child tax for childcare and working tax is based in my working hours and pay

Bugger bugger bugger.

Surely a mortgage lender wouldn't count tax credits help for childcare as income as it is income which goes straight out again to pay for childcare ?? So it's not like it's money which is any help toward paying your mortgage ??

It's not a mortgage lender as such, it's to check I can afford the rent portion of the property. It's all a bit weird because it says they won't accept CTC or child benefit as a source of income because that's for the children but will accept child maintenance payments. I pay nearly £500 a month for childcare which they will take off my available income but won't apparently accept the tax credits I get in respect of that. By their criteria I'm not eligible even though I'm currently paying more in rent than I would be paying to them.