Return to full/part time work: tax credits are confussing!

[LornaGoon]

I'm trying to work out my fiances, tax credits etc re going back to work.

I used the HMRC tax credit calculatory thingy.

If I work min wage job, 16 hours a week we will get £500 ish child tax credits.
If I managed to get a job paying £19k, full time (when partners is on the same money) we will get £475 child tax credits. Not much difference between the two!

Is that right? It just seems really crazy. I did try another calculator and it said something similar.

Have I just missed something?

Many thanks

That could well be right. I think there's a kind of 'bonus' built in, so that if you work over 30 hours you are sort of rewarded by Tax Credits - otherwise you might as well stick to a low-paid part-time job.

Hi - think its because your partner is earning -not sure where the cut off is exactly