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Original poster

New Tax Credits

152 replies

PamT · 14/10/2002 14:02

Has everyone applied for the new tax credits? They start in April and replace not only the existing WFTC and Disabled Persons Tax Credits but also the Children's Tax Credit. Currently the wage earner receives approximately £10 per week extra due to an adjustment of the tax code. This will stop in April and you will only get this payment if you apply for it. I think it will be paid to families earning anything up to about £58K. Families earning up to around £22K will also be entitled to additional money in Child Tax Credit or Working Tax Credit.

See www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk for more information. You can calculate your entitlement or apply on line.

And no, I don't work for them but I do think that everyone should get what they are entitled to. My form went in about a month ago

OP posts:
Angel78 · 10/04/2003 15:10

Good to know I'm not the only one pulling my hair out. I sent back the form in January and didn't hear a thing back and kept getting reminder letters. We then applied online and still heard nothing but more reminders. A couple of weeks ago we had a form come through asking for dps date of birth and salary as apparently we hadn't filled them in???? Like I'd leave the most important question blank. Sent that back to them then lo and behold last night they phoned up dp and asked for his date of birth and salary.
They're slowly driving me mad but at least we know somethings being done now. (Sigh).

tallulah · 10/04/2003 18:41

Linnet, the old WTC system was so open to abuse they had to change it, & basing it on an annual salary has got to be fairer. My DH had a woman working with him who deliberately dropped her hours during the qualifying weeks before each renewal, so that she'd get her WTC, then put them back up the rest of the year. I worked with a woman who conveniently separated from her DH every 6 months, only to reconcile once she'd got her WTC as a single parent. There are so many cheats out there & the rest of us pay for it.

Not only that, more people are eligible for the new one than under the old system.

As snugs says, you only have to report a rise in income over the figure on your award notice. Your rise will affect next years award, but we're all in the same boat.

zebra · 10/04/2003 19:07

Linnet: Also, in the old system certain people fell thru the cracks and didn't get any benefits at all, even though you would think they should have. Like parents who are students...

Linnet · 10/04/2003 21:38

Tallulah, isn't it sad that there are people out there like that woman who would seperate from dh just to claim as a single parent. I was talking to another friend today who was telling me of someone she heard of that would get a job claim the wftc, work for a few weeks and then quit her job as she had her extra money and it didn't matter any more if she worked.
It makes me mad to hear stories like that when there are so many honest people in the country just trying to claim what they are entitled to.
Also I didn't know that parents who were students slipped through the cracks, I guess this system is better than the old one. I've only heard negative feedback so far from people I know. I guess it will all work out ok in the end for all of us.

mieow · 11/04/2003 12:09

Re.- health costs!!

Do you have an NHS Exemption Cert. that ==Y== you are entitled to expires on 7/04? use it till 31/7

= N

= Is your annual income for WTC or CTC purposes==N= you are NOT entitled £14,200 or less to help

= Y

= Do you recieve CTC but not WTC because==Y== you are entitled to help you work 16 hours or less?

= N

= Do you recieve WTC with a disability ==Y== you are entitled to help element?

= N

= Do you recieve =====Y==== you are entitled to he WTC and CTC?? help

= N

=
You are NOT entitled to help

It is going to take the PPA a few months to get everyones exemption certificates out but using this you can work out and just tick the box.

cerys · 12/04/2003 09:47

We applied online in early January and got an award letter in early February. Our circumstances have changed a lot since 2001-2002 - DH has been promoted, I've gone part-time and we pay less childcare - so I rang up and they took the details. We're still waiting for an amended form to sign...
It syas on the original form that if we don't sign and return it by 13th March, we'll lose the money awarded. I presume we'll be Ok in that we haven't had a correct form to sign, but have been trying for TWO WEEKS just to get through tho the helpline - all I get is "please try later, we are experiencing a high number of calls" Yes,I bet they are!
Anyone else waiting for an amended form?

mieow · 12/04/2003 09:54

we are waiting for an amended form and my money was in my bank this week. I think that they will pay you but if they have overpaid you when they get your signed form back they will ask for it back......... so not panic

Angel78 · 12/04/2003 09:55

We applied online a couple of months ago and are still waiting for a form to sign. We know they've definitely got the claim as they keep getting in contact asking questions that I know I filled in.

Original poster
PamT · 12/04/2003 11:33

I'm a happy bunny today. I got my award notice this morning. It tells me that of the 2 payments I received on Wednesday, the higher is CTC and will be paid weekly, the lower is WTC and will be paid fortnightly (by my employer eventually, but into the bank for now). So the online calculator worked the amount out correctly and I am at last receiving what I should. All I need now is my nhs exemption certificate. DH also got a copy of the award notice despite him being sent a new form to complete on Thursday. All the credits were paid to me too, despite dh being the main carer (SAHD).

Mieow, where did you find the prescription bit? It didn't cut and paste too well so its a bit hard to follow - do I qualify with my income being less than £14,000?

OP posts:
Original poster
PamT · 12/04/2003 12:24

Found it, its here
www.ppa.org.uk/ppa/taxcredits_chart.htm
sorry, I'm no good at links.

OP posts:
debster · 14/04/2003 11:18

We received our notification but I'm not sure what to do now. The income the award is based on was for 2000/1. During that year both my partner and I were made redundant so our combined income was about £24k for the year. Our circumstances have changed now in that I work full time and my partner is a SAHD. Our 'combined' income is the same as the amount they've based the award on but only one of us is working. Do we have to inform them? I'm sure it says that if the income doesn't go above the higher limit we don't need to do anything.

zebra · 14/04/2003 11:41

I heard on Radio4 this weekend that anybody who despartely needs the money from the new tax credits can get them by going to some office (?benefits, tax office?) and asking for emergency advance pay outs. But now I can't find anything about it on the BBC website !! Boohoo.

Linnet · 14/04/2003 22:42

I finally got that link for the PPA to work tonight and looking at it we qualify for an NHS Tax Credit exemption certificate. Does anyone know if they will send us one automatically or do we need to apply?
Also the first question on that flow chart is did you previously have an NHS exemption certificate because you got wftc, we have never had this certificate. WE always got a letter with our award notice telling us that we got free prescriptions/dental treatment.
Were we supposed to have an exemption certificate? did anyone else not have an exemption certificate when getting WFTC?
thanks for any advice

tallulah · 15/04/2003 11:11

zebra, it's the tax office.

MABS · 23/04/2003 08:21

Has anyone not heard a thing, and can't even get the phone line ringing.... The only 'progress' that's happened is that dh's pay has been decreased by £14 per week!!

I can't get through to them and i'm going mad, especially as we did the form in November.

Angel78 · 23/04/2003 08:53

We finally got our form to sign and I will be getting my money in the bank on Monday. Hooray.

bluestar · 24/04/2003 10:28

My tax credits arrived in bank account this morning. Not sure they are the right amount though and haven't recevied anything by post but at least have some money now!

mum2toby · 24/04/2003 10:37

My money is due into my account on the 30th April!! However, coz they worked out my earnings WAAAY wrong I am not entitled to even half of what they are going to pay me!!! BUT when I phoned to tell them this it took me hours to get through, to be told that the computers were down and could I try in few days!!! I was livid! IDIOTS!

So I'm going to have to spend another few hours trying to get through on a number that isn't freephone only to have them take money away from me!!!! NAH!

Bozza · 24/04/2003 12:39

bluestar are you having them paid monthly?

Tinker · 22/05/2003 13:50

Am I the only one who has still heard nothing about their award? Not even a notice advising what I'll get. Got through to the 'helpline' to be told, patronisingly, that 'Oh well, you'll get a nice fat cheque when it does come'. He at least had the decency to gasp when I told him I'd applied in October.

Tinker · 22/05/2003 15:28

Looks like I am

easy · 22/05/2003 15:39

No you're not,

I spent all last week trying to get thru to the helpline. Finally got answered by someone who could tell me nothing about our application, but promised that someone would call back.

Guess What ..... No one called back.

However 3 days ago we received a letter. It was addressed to my dh by name, at this address and quoted his NI number as a reference.

It asked him to reply in order to confirm his Name, Address and national insurance number !!!

I ask you.

I don't think there is anything we can do except wait .... or harass your MP ?

ghengis · 22/05/2003 15:40

Tinker, am I the only one not eligible for these? I've checked on the Inland Revenue website and it would appear that our earnings last year were too high. Yet some friends of ours whose earnings are (I'm guessing) about the same seem to be waiting. Have I missed something?

chatee · 22/05/2003 15:52

had no paperwork thru at all but looked at a bank statement received yesterday and £66 paid in on the 25th April-not what i expected but at least it's something to go along with!!

tigermoth · 22/05/2003 22:20

tinker, you are not alone. I asked about tax credits when speaking to the personnel officer at my future workplace - public sector if you remember. She told me no one she knew of at this large place of work had yet received their tax credits.