Advice desperately needed please

[MumAnAHalf]

Hi All
Currently our household income is under £15,000 and we get £143 HB and £75 a week ctc/wtc (including what we're paying them back for overpayment). I work from home and dh works out. He has been offered a job where he will get £990 a month rather than £671 take-home which will JUST push us over the £15k bracket, so I know we'll lose HB (Which will be a relief in a way because I hate dealing with them and am already stressing because its not too log before yet another review is due at my home). And we'd rather be off HB anyway if possible.
Our worry is the CTC/WTC. We both work over 16hrs so should still get WTC but how much would our £75 drop to? We are in dire straights at the mo and can't afford to be down at all and hes wary of taking the job on to THEN find out we're down and he cant do anything.
I've looked on entitledto but their calculation have never been accurate with our circumstances for some reason? Can anyone shed any light from person experiecne etc.

Thanks in advance

have you tried the credit tax calculator or googled to see if their is another one on the net that just looks at income and CTC (in fact have you tried that on entitled to just igoring the HB factor)

Hi CarGirl, will have a look for another CTC calculator but I think that entitledto us the official one? I always ignore the HB bit as its never been right but entitled to has always said either Im not getting enough CTC or way too much, never anywhere near my award, even taking into account overpayment. Im tempted to ring CTC to see hwta they say but knowing them theyd put down that our circumstances have already changed and that'll be that lol

According to theother online calculator we'd be £37 down PLUS whatever our repayment to tax credit is on top so perhaps £60 down a month. Sounds nothing to some but we're teethering on the brink of bankrupsy so its £60 we cant lose. Grr.
Its so difficult to know what to do some times. We desperately want to get off HB etc but at the moment it would seriously dmamage our finances. As it is we have £69 a week for food, cleaning materials, nappys and wipes for a family of three. Think I've answered my own question. Thanks x

Don't know if this may help and may give you a headache!!! - but there is supposedly a rule that you can have an income increase in this tax year and keep what CTC amount you get now - as long as it's no more than £25k above your income last year.
So if your income was say, £18k combined last year and it will be £20k estimated for this year, your CTC shouldn't change until next April. Then they would drop it because of the £20k fo this year if that makes sense.
If you pay childcare though it changes immediately for the Childcare element as that is based on this year's expected income alone, and it may also reduce your CTC - don't know why but who knows how it works for sure!!!! I have found the helpline quite good at doing "what if" scenarios over the phone though!

Oh, WTC element may be lost though as they expect your wages to "make up" that part once you are over the £15k threshold.
HB and Council Tax Benefit should be partially paid, or at least have the "4 week run on" - there is "benefit calculators" online for that, usually on local council websites.
Or Citizens Advice can work out the basic formula to say what you should be entitled to this year - then whatever their answer is, you deduct credits already paid to you for this tax year and divide by the number of weeks left. they will also do HB and CTC for you - where I live they do phone advice sessions on certain days, or you can speak to the Welfare Rights section of the County Council - I don't know if all counties/towns have this though!!!

Charlene is right, any changes to your income won't have effect this year, but your tc's will come down from April 2009.

I know that you want to come off HB but at this moment you need to concentrate in keeping your head above water and do what benefits you and your circumstances.

No use being pleased about coming off HB standing outside the bankruptcy courts!

There's a Mnetter who works for the tax credit people...can't remember her name though...I'll have a look.

Nope! can't find it, sorry.

its boredveryverybored. have put a shout out for her here

Was tht her usual MN name? I thought that was just because she was bored that night. Could be wrong though.