Child element of Tax credits

[spikc]

Just because I am wanting to reduce my hours at work from 35 to 21 I put this info into the tax credits website. All legit, (I've worked since leaving school at 16 years) my income would be less from work but I'd receive some pension income from a private NHS pension (21 years service), altogether only about £1,000 worse off for the year. So I guessed the amount I now receive would reduce. It did, but not much. I can only assume the child credit portion stays the same regardless? My WTC did reduce by half.
Is that it? Can I be so lucky?
OR is my voluntarily reducing my income make other elements kick in? That will reduce the sum further.
Basically, at 60 with a young child, I want to reduce hours as people would in the latter years of life. I have the contributary years banked for my national pension by 66 years of age and N.I. contributions obviously continue with my working. So I'm still doing all asked of me.
I will be paying off my mortgage which alleviates bills in order for this to work.
So it's just a question as to if the child element stays the same whatever your income/hours worked?

Did you put your pension income into the calculator too ? Did it ask for it?

Tax credits are complicated to calculate. There are some indications on the Momey Advice Service website. Is the current payment based on an amended award.

You could try doing a tax credits calculation on gov.uk

www.gov.uk/tax-credits-calculator

www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk/en/articles/child-tax-credit#how-much-is-child-tax-credit

Yes, I did put the pension into my income for the calculator on top of my wages. Seems like working 24 hours is no better either, no wonder people like to reduce hours. In fact, if I stayed on at 35 hours (yes, I'd earn more) it would just not be any more worth it.
So whilst on the site again double checking, I accepted the live chat offered but that was useless, no real answers and even though I was asked to try the calculator (done it and bought the T-Shirt like) the live chat suggested they could not help me more and I'd get no further ringing in to the helpline.
So why try the calculator?... if they could not help, surely it was pointless intimating that this would give me the answer...nah. I rang up the helpline and DID get further information.

Apparently, the calculator is as near right as could be...I'd still get roughly the CTC BUT no WTC.....so the calculator (or is it this 'helpline') isn't factual yet near as dame it to what I'd like it to be. That it is good enough for me to be able to reduce hours and still have my head above water with the other components of wage plus pension giving me what I'd like.
Trouble is you can't test the water early, you have to give this change of circumstance at the actual time I do drop hours. So I hope the lady, who confirmed I could do this IS correct. Otherwise, I'd have made the wrong move.
Apparently, they accept people at this age do these things. That I am not just trying to reduce hours to better my income etc...

So all I can offer folks is that IT SEEMS you won't be so poorly affected by this kind of change. Fingers crossed.

Bagadverts...thanks for the website info.
Being as my wage is low at £15,000 at most (with a child - no care costs) I get the highest I see.
However, be careful of the disregard mentioned. I advised them that I was over my initial wage prediction by £1,000 YET they still revised it, however, did not revise it back in my favour equally the other way round when I informed them this was a mistake by me. So don't do as I did, keep stum if you are within the £2.5K change limit. I was NOT as only over by £1,000 (as first thought) but they still changed my money and I seemingly lost out when it was put back again. Think it has something to do with the previous year also?

People over 60 an get working tax credits by only working 16 hours a week.

I believe anyone can get WTC with 16 hours. Why do you think it's at 60 or are you just stating I'd be able to drop to 16?
The reason I have chosen 21/24 hours is to get that wage in (9.5K) so assume 16 hours would inhibit the return, after all, it's devised to get people back to work with this help.
16 would be lovely but I'm tallying the 21/24 added to the pension and reduced bills to be able to keep on track as I am now. I think reducing to 16 would mean I'd suffer from less income.
Cheers babyroobs