Someone explain working tax credits to me in words of one syllable.

[wardrobemistress]

Recently separated from my H and am new to all this.
Up until the split I was working 7.5 hours/week and he (said he) was earning too much to be entitled to anything.
So now I'm on my todd and have got a new job which takes me up to 19.5 hours/week but I don't have a start date yet(I hope to feck they hurry up)
So I have this big form to fill in and they want all my details up to April this year.
But now I'm going to be earning almost double for the rest of the tax year surely they are going to be overpaying me and therefore at some point ask for it all back?Or am I missing something?

Help! Give me one less thing to worry about!

they always base the award on what income you had the previuos tax year. you can always phone them if you are unsure.

But isn't getting paid for last year a bit mad?That's the bit my addled little brain isn't processing.Surely if my circumstance change then I need the money NOW(or not) not next year?

I'm not a stupid person normally honest!

If they do overpay do they grab it all back in a oner or pay me next to nothing for the next year?
Sorry but this seems to be the worry I'm fixated on to today.
Tomorrow is the Council Tax.

WTC - check on entitledto.com for all benefit entitlements, or on HMRC website for tax credits only for a rough idea, as long as this tax year's income doesn't exceed last year's by more than £25000 you won't be overpaid.

If you're a single parent and working more than 16 hrs you could get help with childcare too.

£25000?????Both jobs together don't come to nearly that!
Thanks Snigger-i'll look at those sites.
I'm so sick of worrying about EVERYTHING.

i also have a question about WTC. i usually work 20 hours and get WTC in accordance to this. if on the odd week i only do say 10 hours what happens? do i have to inform them that that week i'm not entitled to it or do they wait until the end of the year and check i have worked at least 16x52=832 hours or more in that year but it doesn't matter if say one week i worked 10 and the next week i worked 20 as long as over the whole year i worked 832 hours? hope that makes sense!!

It's usually a common sense approach - if you have irregular hours, what ever could be considered your 'normal' hours would apply.

There's no hard and fast rule, I don't think, but check on this page of hmrc website for guidance

none the wiser now