Sure I'm being diddled out of working tax credits

[lollipoprainbow]

I'm a single mum and work 29.5 hours a week and apparently I'm not entitled to working tax credits. I was getting them a while ago and they stopped, when I called HMRC to query this I was advised it was because my salary had gone up slightly and I am over the threshold to claim. I was talking to another single mum colleague at work on more hours than me and she is getting a lot more than me on universal credit and thinks I should change. I've just been into turn to us to see what I would be entitled to, entered all my details and it told me what I am currently on and it stated that I get working tax credits which I don't !! When I queried a while ago why my working tax credits had stopped and that I had done a check online to see what I was entitled to I was told they aren't always accurate. I'm sure I'm being sold short of what I should be getting. Anyone else had the same. ??

How much do you earn?

My colleague and I earn exactly the same, but she has two kids and I only have one. I get nothing and she gets £20 a week

I currently work 30hrs a week, have 1 child and get £30 a week in working tax credits?
I've got it in my mind that tax credits work on last year's income as well as this year's to calculate the amount, has your wage jumped up this year?

You wont get your 30 hour element with tax credits as you are just under the threshold. I think you are better off either working 16hrs or 30hrs as I understand. It also depends on your income, whether you claim for childcare etc. I am better off working 30 hours with tax credits than I was when I worked 28 hours on the same hourly rate. Tax credits are usually based on what you earn the year before then they do some adjustments.

I'd get a calculation done for Uc and swap if it's beneficial to you. It's a much simpler system and easy to work out what you should be getting.

Do you have an overpayment from a previous year?

What do you earn?
How many kids do you have?
Does you friend rent ?
Do you have or mortgage or rent?
Do either of you pay childcare?
These are probably the differences