Help to understand Income Support/Working Tax credits

[strongswans]

Thought I'd try here as the helpline for IS was zero help. I currently claim IS and Carers Allowance as my son is disabled. I have previously been a childminder, and due to the rules I still received IS whilst getting Working TC's. I am hoping to return to work soon and am trying to work out my possible finances first. I will still be self-employed, but not a childminder. I have been told by friends and a few websites (entitled to) say that carers are still entitled to claim IS even when working over the usual 16hrs. As I said I am a carer to my son.

Does anyone have any experience of this? I just need to plan my finances before I take the next move.

You can claim IS as a top up to carers allowance but you can't get IS and WTC together. You can claim CA and work and earn up to £116 a week and get WTC top up.

Be very careful if going self employed though. The rules are getting stricter and tax credits increasingly want you to prove a viable business. When you get switched to Universal credit it is even harder and it just isn't friendly towards the self employed.

Thank you! Its so hard to understand the rules sometimes! Thanks for the heads up about universal credit