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Original poster

Tax credits have really done if for us this time [angry]

31 replies

chocolatemummy · 15/10/2008 14:09

I know everyone has problems with them but I am SO angry I just have to have a rant.

I was really fed up with my career and in and out of fixed term contracts for a the last few years.I applied to do my nurse training at university. I was offered a place and over the moon. I had to plan everything financially of course and called the Tax credits to see what our enititlement would be and if it was viable. The lady quite confidently said we would get £264 a month and this on top of my bursary from the NHS made it managable although tough. So I quit my job and started a month ago. I am really enjoying it but today have recieved a revised award which I assumed was a mistake. I called and they said they had made a mistake originally and that we were only entitled to £10.50 a month. Now it is going to be virtually impossible and I am so angry that I have left my job and everything based on somebodies incompetence I want to scream

OP posts:
PhantomOfTheChocolateCake · 15/10/2008 14:12

The University have an access to learning fund that has money availiable, you just have to apply for it. You can't get working tax credit as a student nurse (crazy!), however I set up a business for 16 hours a week doing ironing and managed to get working tax credit for this which increased my income.

Original poster
chocolatemummy · 15/10/2008 14:17

I have been offered a job at a local care home for mentally ill (I am doing mental health nursing) and they said they would be able to offer me 16 hours a week, however because we have to go placement full time for 16 weeks in the year I can't do it , only on a casual basis and tax credits said that makes me not qualify for tax credits as I cannot work regular hours and my bursary is not earned income

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PhantomOfTheChocolateCake · 15/10/2008 14:23

It is possible to combine the two, however it doesn't give you much of a life outside the placement and the job. You shouldn't be in a placement for 16 weeks apart from the management one in the last year. The CFP in the first year has placements of between 2-6 weeks. There's always the weekends too. It's easier to work from home as you can choose the hours. I would work in the care home for how many hours you have spare then work from home, ironing or typing, that sort of thing. Remember to allocate time for paperwork. The only problem with this is that you will have to register as self employed and fill in a tax return.

I would try the Uni though, the access to learning fund should help and you don't have to repay this.

Original poster
chocolatemummy · 15/10/2008 14:33

we have an 8 week placement starting in january and then another 12 weeks of placement (with a 2 week break) starting in june and ending in september.
I am in uni four days per week during non placement times and I though I could just work one shift per week to top up the bursary and tax credits but that wont even make up for the tax credits we have lost now. Oh I am just paniking I know but I am so cross

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PhantomOfTheChocolateCake · 15/10/2008 14:39

Wow! Heavy course. I'm doing radiography, I'm in for 2 and a half days, get school holidays off and on placement 9-5.

I would contact the Uni, fill in their access to learning fund form. Then join Unison, they have a benefits section that will give you money (if they have some) in an emergency, ie, if you need a new cooker/fridge/washing machine if yours has broken down.

It's really silly that your bursary is not income. The placements are like working. I used to be a paeds student nurse so I know it's a real PITA. Can your partner/husband claim working tax credit? As your bursary is not income then the family income is reduced.

Original poster
chocolatemummy · 15/10/2008 14:43

The £10.50 a week is based on joint claim, he is on £17,000 a year, not exactly raking it in! and he has responsibility for paying just about everything now, we pay £130 a month to childcare and about £1000 mortgage and all bills, its just that at the moment nobody can afford to lose over £200 a month can they !

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PhantomOfTheChocolateCake · 15/10/2008 14:45

[wow] I would phone them up as this does not sound correct for the amount you have coming in.

Contact the uni aswell.

Peachy · 15/10/2008 14:49

have you checed on the entitled to website?

dh has to go back to uni next year and so we can get tc's (I will either be teacher training or- more likely due to childcare- subsisting on carer benefits) and he has set up a business for 16 hours or so a week which might help us

Peachy · 15/10/2008 14:50

hang on- your dp works 16 hors surely?

wtc haven't 'forgotten' this have they?

thatswrong · 15/10/2008 14:54

Hi. We have 1 child aged 6 and my dh earns £19200. We get £42.07 per week in child tax credit. I don't work. We do not get working families tax credit just the child tax credit. We have no childcare costs. I hope this helps you to know what figures to work on. I think what the tax credit people are giving you is wrong and you need to get it sorted.

Original poster
chocolatemummy · 15/10/2008 14:55

husband works full time on £17K
mortgage is £600 a month and £120 a month on childcare plus another £400 easily on bills.
They said that our income is too much for us to get any child tax credit and our working tax credit entitlement is £10.50 a month, I called back to confirm as I was so shocked and the other person confirmed this.
Its pathetic isnt it, I am so cross. I can work of course but its only 4 weeks in and they have ruined it for me already becaue now I am just anxious about money

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PhantomOfTheChocolateCake · 15/10/2008 14:57

Are you getting the full bursary? If you are entitled to 1p dependants allowance then they will pay for the childcare.

Peachy · 15/10/2008 14:58

see here

Original poster
chocolatemummy · 15/10/2008 15:01

I was turned down for dependants allowance because of dh income! I did not claim for child care allowance because they said we could not if we were getting child tax credits , which i thought we were going to get at the time. So now I will now be putting a claim in! asap
They are arseholes, they seemt to be different from one person to another

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PhantomOfTheChocolateCake · 15/10/2008 15:04

You can't claim childcare from the bursary unit if you are getting childcare paid by the working tax credit. I think that you have to have 1p of the dependants allowance to get this though so you need to check. Also check with the Uni, some offer financial help for childcare for students.

I'm off to collect ds. Will be back later. Good luck.

Bramshott · 15/10/2008 15:05

Chocolatemummy - this does NOT sound as though they have worked it out correctly Do put the figures in on entitled to as linked to earlier.

Original poster
chocolatemummy · 15/10/2008 15:08

yep just done the link you sent Peachy, its says we should get just over £50 a week/. Tax credits said that because i earned just over £7,500 between April and starting my couse last month (in my previous job) our earnings for this year have gone over £24,000 so were not entilted to anymore.
thats what its based on, not the fact that NOW i am earning nothing!

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Original poster
chocolatemummy · 15/10/2008 15:10

okay Phantom, thanks

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Original poster
chocolatemummy · 15/10/2008 15:11

brb off to collect dd

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Peachy · 15/10/2008 15:11

It is done ovr a year

reapply for childcare allowance and make an emergency appt with student support

remember it should go up next year as well- that should help then at least

Original poster
chocolatemummy · 15/10/2008 15:43

yeah i realise next year we should get some because it will literally be based on dh income alone but it just mean for next 6 months we are going to be absolutely broke

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Original poster
chocolatemummy · 15/10/2008 15:44

thanks Peachy you have been really helpful.

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DaisyMooSteiner · 15/10/2008 16:03

Tax credits won't pay for your childcare at all because you won't both be working.

Are you sure the £10.50 isn't per week as everybody earning under about £50K gets at least £545 a year?

Original poster
chocolatemummy · 15/10/2008 16:11

well I am being sponsored by NHS to train as a nurse which is a full time course including atleast 16 weeks a year in full time placement and I will have to work ON TOP of that to manage, so I dont think its too much to ask for tax credits when we ARE both paying tax and always have done, I think I claimed unemployment benefit for a total of 12 weeks in my lifetime after being made redundnat.
Yeah its £10.50 a week but they said it was £66 a week in september!

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DaisyMooSteiner · 15/10/2008 18:09

Oh, I quite agree, it stinks that they don't class you as working. Hopefully you should be able to get some childcare paid by the bursary people though.