Tax credits and work

[Fml678]

I have been working 16 hours a week for £8.50 an hour paid weekly and have a new job but they have only offerd me 14 hours at £16.50 term time only and paid monthly. Working a month in advance.So I’m now going to be 9 weeks without wages. As far as I can find from my online research I can only get tax credits if I’m working 16 hours. Can I average my wage and tell them I’m doing 16 hours?

Claim Universal Credit, it doesn’t matter how many hours you do

If I contact them now and they stop my working tax credits and claim universal credits I won’t have any regular income until I’m paid a the end of October. How long does a universal credits claim take?

Five weeks, but you can get an advance if you ask.

What do you mean by averaging your hours, are you doing both jobs or just the new one?

You used to be able to apply your overall wages for the year and divide the figure by how many weeks you work, ie average out your earnings rather than just relying on the actual figure you got paid week by week which can vary in work which requires weeks off/varies pay/ etc.

But someone I know who has a job that pays nothing from November to January told me they don't do it anymore. No idea if she's wrong. Best thing to do is phone HMRC and ask OP.

Sorry I wasn’t clear. I’m wondering if I can say I’m doing 16 hours a week and tell them I get £10 an hour. Instead of telling them I do 14 hours term time at £16. Does it go solely on hours or actual money earned.

No you can't tell them you are doing 16 hours when you're only doing 14. if you are only working 14 hours a week you no longer meet the criteria for claiming working tax credits and to deliberately mislead them would be fraud.'

Could you do a few hours bar work or similar to bring your time up?

Hi thanks. I spoke to HMRC today and I can do the other 2 hours self employed.