Tax credits potential payment leaving hardship

[paulabe71]

Hi. I'm hoping someone can advise me correctly as after speaking to 3 different people on the tax credit helpline I'm totally confused!

I am currently receiving ssp and will unfortunately be unable to return to work due to disability! I have contacted HRMC to advise them of this and to give them my wages details for 13/14, showing that going from 5k to1k and my husband's wages staying the same at 14.5k! We have 3 children all under the age of 12! Now when I renewed my claim last week, I explained my situation to the advisor who then said that we will generate a potential payment and have an underlying entitlement to working tax credits! Now today I had my weekly tax credits which had gone up slightly, so I thus called them! Spoke to one person who really did not understand what I was saying but he said we would be entitled to working tax credits come April 14 based on this yrs wages! So I said so a potential payment would be due because of under payment for this year, first he said yes then said no!

He then said he'd transfer me to a more experienced advisor! Who then said that our payment would stay the same even though I income has gone down and that changes will be made in April 14!

Are you as confused as I am or do any of you understand the tax credit system??

We are going to really really struggle, and it's making me feel ill at the thought of not being able to provide for my children!

Any suggestions, ideas or knowledge would be greatly appreciated!

Many thanks

[paulabe71]

I'm hoping I've posted this on the right part! Please can someone advise if they think it's not!

Many thanks

[sirbob10]

Hi

 

As far as I was told last year when my husband was sick is that if your salary goes down by less than £2500 in the tax year then nothing changes but if its more than £2500 then your payments will go up. I don't understand why they would say you would receive a payment for an underpayment for this tax year as it doesn't end until April 2014.

 

The other thing which I found out last year was that WTC stopped me from receiving free school meals. As I have 3 school age daughters it was £28 per week and the WTC was only £18 every 4 weeks so it was more beneficial not to receive the WTC.

[Sarahwood]

I have the same issue. I have given my details for 12-13 but I have lost my wages of £6000 yet this won't affect my tax credits for this year at all and we will get more next year which is not very handy when we need the money to live on now. As it is we have had £100 a month cut and also being told we were overpaid by £600 for last year as tax credits have our income wrong for 2011-12 despite me correcting it last December and receiving an increase in tax credits.

 

I seem to get different answers from whoever I speak to and some are really rude. I have to wait up to 15 weeks now whilst my 2011-12 details are sent back to the tax credit office to look at and even then they may not change them so i will have to appeal. I have now got someone to act on my behalf from the CAB.

 

With the wait for our housing benefit claim to go through (which has so far been 6 weeks) we are really struggling to keep up with bills let alone try and feed ourselves.

[suziebear67]

They are ignoring the first 2500 that your income goes down by so say last year you earned 10000 last year, and this year you estimate you will only earn 5000 they are basing your claim on 7500.

They did say that come April 2014 if I was to earn the lower amount I would be paid benefit based on that at the end of the year.