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Original poster

Tax Credits - should I have done something by today?

28 replies

thehouseofmirth · 31/07/2008 10:08

We get (a paltry amount of) child tax credits and seem to remember last year we got a form to check. Realised we haven't had anything this year and I'm just wondering if I should have chased it up?

OP posts:
scorpio1 · 31/07/2008 10:09

today is the cut off point; ring them

0845 300 3900

Songbird · 31/07/2008 10:11

You should have had something, and today is the deadline. I rang up yesterday and updated my details over the phone. We get a piffling amount too, but better than nowt! One of my friends gets £200 a fricking week! Just because she decided to open a lovely little shop selling lovely little things and hasn't made any money. I work my arse off and get £40 a month! Ah well....

GrapefruitMoon · 31/07/2008 10:11

yes cut off is today but it's impossible to get through at the moment....

ruddynorah · 31/07/2008 10:11

if you just get the minimum and have a regular income ie not self employed then yours probably is automatically renewed. i rang yesterday after seeing all the ads insisting you ring up to renew and they said it's automatic for us.

Original poster
thehouseofmirth · 31/07/2008 10:16

Songbird why does your friend get that much? Is it because of the child-care element? I must admit despite having a degree I find the whole system completely baffling.

Although our circumstances have changed slighlty in that I have just regstered as self-employed I am not actually earning any money. Should I contact them?

OP posts:
boredveryverybored · 31/07/2008 10:19

Ruddynora is right in that if you're on the basic tax credits and have reg income it will usually be auto renewed. Best calling to make sure though if you haven't had any paperwork.
Houseofmirth, def call and tell us. Only way to avoid being over/under paid is to make sure you tell us when anything changes

Hth

JillJ72 · 31/07/2008 10:21

DH rang on Tuesday after all the ads stating if you don't renew the TC will stop. Was told on the phone they'd stop, yet our letter automatically renews. When he told them that they backtracked. I'm really not sure they know what they're doing at the best of times. And why they can't just link into the tax system to see what our codes are, what we're earning, is beyond me. Left hand and right hand?!

We get something around £50/month. Sometimes I wonder if it's worth it.

zippitippitoes · 31/07/2008 10:22

dont be jealous friend with shop will have lost a lot more than she gained

boredveryverybored · 31/07/2008 10:27

I've done that before Jill Is V easy to do though (in my defence) while waiting for claim to load on system, asked if money will stop if they don't renew, automatic answer is yes, until the notes are in front of you.
We use completely different system to the tax office which is why we can't see those details. It is a pain in the arse I know, but if we had to log into different system and check income for everyone that renewed whole thing would take much longer, and the queues we have at the moment would be nothing to what it would be in that case.

Original poster
thehouseofmirth · 31/07/2008 10:38

boredveryverybored is it because I am not working that we recive such a small amount? DH only earns £26k and we get the minimum yet I know other families whose incomes are much higher who get the same or more than us.

OP posts:
zippitippitoes · 31/07/2008 10:41

yes it is working tax credits

so the numbers count 16 hours and 30 hours

so there is a 30 hour supplement

if you work lots of hours and get paid zilch eg a failing business like the shop npot making any money then you get credits because you are working

ruddynorah · 31/07/2008 10:46

the bracket for the basic minimum is something like £21k to £60k. dh earns £25k himself so my income makes no difference. if i didn't work we wouldn't get more. if his income went up to £50k we wouldn't get less. it's a BIG bracket.

Original poster
thehouseofmirth · 31/07/2008 10:49

So it's the working tax element, nothing to do with child-care? If you are self-employed and not earning any money yet how do you prove you are working 30+ hours? I've set myslef up as self-employed and although the actual billable hours to clients are low I am spending many hours researching and marketing myself. Does that count?

OP posts:
Original poster
thehouseofmirth · 31/07/2008 10:55

Absolutley ruddynorah. The difference between £21k and £60k is immense, isn't it?

OP posts:
Songbird · 31/07/2008 11:14

Mmnn, all very confusing! houseofmirth, yes, I think it's the child care element they get so much for. I think you should contact them. Zip, I know, it just irks sometimes. She's a lovely girl, my friend, but she does drift through life not really thinking of the future or the impact the decisions she makes will have on her family. Her dh isn't particularly well paid (but not bad, £25,000 or so), and she set up this shop on a bit of a whim. I guess I'm really jealous of her 'give-it-a-go' attitude - I'm much safer! I know things have been tough for her - it certainly hasn't been plain-sailing! Sorry if I sounded bitter, it's just that I'm really bitter

JillJ72 · 31/07/2008 11:16

BVB, I empathise with the job you're doing... it's the Govt I'm having a pop at - joined-up thinking isn't their strong point. I work for the NHS (Information Analyst) and have similar types of problems. It would make everyone's lives easier if one data system captured tax info, and from which all tax decisions/payments could be made. It's not rocket science, although it feels like it

zippitippitoes · 31/07/2008 11:18

ime you tell them you are self employed and you enter the number of hours you work

you dont prove it you sign the form to say its true

gillybean2 · 31/07/2008 11:25

Can't believe so many people leave it this late to sort out!

We had clients at work panicing asking us to ring up and renew for them, and I'm thinking, surely it'd be just as quick (if not quicker) for you to ring them yourself rather than us. But then I suppose if they can't get through then they leave us to do it for them and we probably have a special number being an agent like we do for tax stuff.

But still, was shocked at anyone leaving it as late as 1 day to go before doing anything!

Songbird · 31/07/2008 11:28

Yes, shocking, I'm a terrible person!

gillybean2 · 31/07/2008 11:35

Well hardly. I just wouldn't be able to sleep at night at the thought of my money being stopped. But then I'm a lone parent who needs help with child care etc and wouldn't be able to afford to work if I didn't get my WTC & CTC as i'd be worse off than on benefits!

boredveryverybored · 31/07/2008 11:39

Sorry went off for a while there. The higher income bracket is huge, I don't understand why it's so large tbh.
For self eployed people they just declare to us how many hours they work and we pay WTC accordingly, you don't have to prove the hours.
Houseofmirth, def include any hours you do that are for business, whether they are billable hours or not. If it comes to more than 30pw then you will get a higher ammount of WTC.
Someone who is self employed, claiming childcare and bringing in no money will qual for a fair bit of TC. Does depend on what their dp earns though, if they have one.

twinsetandpearls · 31/07/2008 11:48

Tax credits once overpayed us in error too much and it took so long to prove it was their error that I don't claim anymore, far too much hassle although I doubt I would be entitled to very much.

twinsetandpearls · 31/07/2008 11:49

At one point we were getting letters from them 3 times a week saying that we owed them different amounts each time.

Gobbledigook · 31/07/2008 12:00

I ignore the forms. We've not been entitled to them for years and I wouldn't want them either - they sound like a nightmare.I'm not wasting my time on em.

Gobbledigook · 31/07/2008 12:01

Although I know some people need them....it's a shame though that they still don't seem to have 'got it together' and they just seem to mess people around and cause misery (from threads I've seen on MN).