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

[chocolatemummy]

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

WTC is capped at £17392 if you have children, therefore if your income is over that you would only qualify for basic tax credits of around £42 a month.

yeah I think thats basically what i am getting.
I really want to do this course, i am really enjoying it so far.
I dont think I can get child care allowance from the bursary now best option is to apply for the access fund at the uni and hope? AND just work as much as I can. I picked a really bad time to quite work didnt I

No, that's not quite right HappyMummy. You wouldn't get working tax credit but you would get child tax credit above the basic element on £17K a year, probably around £50 a week I reckon. Chocolatemummy's income will be too much this year so is on the basic amount now, but it will go up next year.

Do put the figures into entitledto Chocolatemummy. Even with that income, it sounds to me like you would be entitled to more CTC than that - total family earnings of £24,500 (£17,000 for DH, £7500 for you) should give you about £38 a week which is less than you were originally told, but more than you are getting now. And that's CTC, not WFTC so you should still be able to get help with childcare through your college.

thanks, have gone from getting around £1200 a month take home for four days to £544 a month and its hurting !!!!!
I guess in a way its better than having £260 a month and then suddenly in april them demanding it all back

Remember your bursary doesn't have to be declared as income, that might bring the ctc amount up a bit.