HMRC, zero hours contract and anxiety!

[banana2812]

Hi, I'm a single parent of two boys and I have worked a zero hours contract for the NHS since 2013. I'm also studying a degree in social work and have behavioural issues with my youngest son who is 6 which I am pushing for services to listen and help us - this is another story in itself which I will post on another thread.

Anyway, in our area at the end of 2017 we were given a new hospital and I can honestly say that it has completely ruined my life. I easily met the criteria for meeting my 16 hours, or was at least able to make my hours back up in subsequent weeks. We are now under new management and there has been stipulations on how many shifts we can book etc. It's made things very difficult for me! I have claimed working tax credit during this time and compliance wrote to me asking for a telephone interview which I had. The woman stated that I wasn't going to meet my earning forecast for this year, I explained all about my contract, the new hospital, new management and alot of my shifts being cancelled etc, but she has requested all my payslips which I will send. I am well under my hours this year and I am so frightened that they are going to try and make an example of me and prosecute me! I didn't realise how much and I just assumed work would pick up again as it always has done in the past. I am in a right mess about this and it has genuinely been a stupid oversight on my part, I thought it would average out over the year but supposedly I need to tell them if my hours go up or drop every four weeks. I don't get any other benefits other than child tax credit, I pay full rent etc.

Has anyone else been through similar? What happens? Will they try and prosecute me!? Will I have to leave my degree!? I've just been started on sertraline for anxiety a couple of weeks before all this came about and I'm struggling to sleep and find any happiness in life at the moment.

Any info appreciated, thanks in advance.

They wont prosecute you but I think they may be able to make you pay some of the wtc back as you aren't entitled to them if you are not meeting the requirements. maybe you would be better off on Universal credit as you would still get topped up on less hours, but depending on the ages of your children you may need to look for more hours or more stable work. Unfortunately HMRC are strict and if you don't meet the criteria for wtc every week or average the 16 hours then you are not entitled to the benefit and if you are not entitled to the benefit and you have been getting paid the wtc then then it may be classed as an overpayment. How many hours short are you over the year. If I were you I would be joining other banks or agencies to make sure I meet the hours. I'm really not sure over what period of time they can average it out over but for example if it is over the year you may have until the end of march to cram some in, although this may be optimistic ! Hopefully someone else will be along with some better advice ??

Sorry just read the last bit of your post again and seen you are doing a degree so you probably wont be better off on Universal credit as they will take any student loan as income.

Can you speak to your student advice service to see if they can give you any advice as they often have great advisers for one parent students.

Hi, thanks for the reply.

I'd completely forgotten about the student advisers so I will speak to them and explain the situation.

I have applied for other banks within the NHS and the local authority and I'm currently trying to make some hours back but I'm at full capacity at the moment. My kids stay with their dad two nights a week, I have zero family support to help me work more on this time and plus alot of uni deadlines coming up this month. It's just such an awful stress. Basically my hours have reduced by 50%, I'm happy to pay back anything that I owe but I know these people at hmrc have a reputation for scare tactics and bullying people into payment.

Once this is all over I will be stopping claiming WTC regardless of how much I struggle as I never want to be put in a position where I feel like my entire reputation is threatened. I've had so much going on and have been complacent about work/study/family balance. I've completely burnt myself out.

I'm due a medication on Tuesday and it definitely needs upped as I'm more or less in a constant state of panic at the moment. I will explain to her. I was put on propranolol after the move to the new hospital and although it has helped a little I think I've just been in denial about how bad emotionally I've been feeling since then.

If you have only been on Sertraline a couple of weeks then your anxiety could be peaking as it has a tendency to do this as it gets into your system. Catastrophising situations is also common with anxiety. I'm sorry I don't know much about the benefits system but I am sure they won't prosecute or anything but may make you pay some back. Please try to continue with your social work degree - you will be guaranteed a job at the end of it and can rise through the ranks quickly to earn more money and get off benefits.

Forgot to say that often GP's prescribe either Propranalol or Diazepam short term to get you through the first few weeks of anti anxiety meds. It's worth asking your GP about them. Sertraline will hopefully help you and you should feel a difference in about 4-6 weeks time.