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what are they playing at?

February 5, 2016, 12:09 am
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Hi all, long story so here goes.
Back in June 2015 I renewed my tax credits award, received a letter in July to state that they had different figures from mine with the RTI system, and my money would be stopped so overpayment could be clawed back, the issue was that my husband pays a personal pension and rightfully so we can deduct this, there is however no box on the renewal to show that pension has been deducted, this has gone on for years, and I always end up sending in a year of bank statements and pension contributions paid and then they tally up and realise we have not been over paid.

So I sent in a years worth of bank and pension statements and received a letter in September 2015 stating that the award had been reinstated as my mandatory consideration had ruled that the original award for 2014 to 2015 was correct. Phew I thought that's great time to get on with my life.
They never returned our bank statements nor pension statements, and I thought they were keeping them on file ready for the next time.

Yesterday I come home to a letter from tax credits telling me they are checking the very same award period 2014 to 2015 as their RTI shows our income as higher than we stated, they want me to contact them AGAIN with the info or my money will be stopped again.

Now in September I was told they had done the mandatory consideration and deemed everything was fine, so why are they asking again for the same information, the decision was made based on the statements I sent in, nothing has changed in the past since then as we are now in the future.

It was found to be right 4 months ago, finalised and now I have to go through it all again, it made me ill the first time and now I will become ill again, the worst thing is all my bank statements and pension information is still in their possession, this was sent via recorded delivery in July last year, it is what they used to confirm the pension paid.

Words cannot express how utterly drained I am feeling right now at the thought of going through the same thing again.

Why don't they just look at the computer screen and read the previous information?
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Please Help Re tax Credits Entitlement

February 5, 2016, 3:05 am
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Hi this is on behalf of my sister in law,

she has just had a baby but has been on Maternity Leave since December.

Before Maternity Leave she earned around £1300 a month and her partner around £1000 per month

Since going on Maternity Leave she is earning approx £5/600 per month

if i am correct, tax credits are based on last years income, so they are over the cut off for one child but they are really strugling on Maternity Leave pay!


Is there anyway of basing it on this years income?

Would it be 2015/2016?

Thanks
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Housing Benefit & proceeds from sale

February 5, 2016, 6:46 am
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Hi all,

I started renting in October and was initially awarded HB which was what I was expecting. I have always been totally honest and open with them that I was selling my house which was due to complete in November but I would be using any proceeds to clear my debts. At the time they told me that would be fine once completed the funds would be disregarded until I got the debts cleared and obviously I would be showing prove of this.

Got a letter asking me to forward them details of the proceeds and bank statements all of which I provided as well as all my up to date debt statements at the start of January. I then received a letter to say my award was suspended while they re-assess.

Today I received a letter to say they had over paid me ????? I am confused does anyone know what the procedure is can I get this money disregarded while I make the offers of settlement to my creditors????

Makes me feel so sick. We had to sell our house due to my husbands ill health so we could clear the mortgage and our debts. We are now renting and can't afford it with out the HB.

TIA for any help.
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Child tax credits-Currently ISA interest ignored-what happens after april?

February 5, 2016, 12:12 pm
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Hi there,


I understand that ISA's interest are not classed as income for child tax credits purposes, but wonder what will happen after april this year, when the new £1,000 tax on interest rule comes into effect?


Will existing or new ISa's still be regarded as exempt for child tax credits income calculations?


Thanks for any clarification.
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Widowed Parents Allowance

February 6, 2016, 3:50 am
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Hi

I'm hoping someone can help me clarify this.

I'm a widow, early 50s with one dependant child.

I've recieved Widowed Parents Allowance since my Husband died 2 years ago.

Today I've recieved a letter frm Jobcentreplus about the amount of benefit I will recieve from 12 April 16. The amount is exactly the same as i have previously recieved, but it is named as 'basic state pension' and not WPA. Does anyone know why???

According to the Gov. website i am not entitled to state pension until the age of 67 which is over 10 years away. I'm concerend as I don't want to be accused of claiming the wrong thing or for my pension to be affected when i come to claim.

Any advice would be appreciated.
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Change of Circumstances

February 6, 2016, 5:39 am
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I have been offered a new job. I claim housing benefit as my wife works but on a low income. She is being made redundant in 4 weeks but i have been lucky enough to get a fulltime job to compensate. It seems we will still get a little help with our rent. What date do I report the change of circumstances? The day I actually start work/earning or do i report it now?.
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Benefits advise please

February 6, 2016, 7:57 am
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Hi there

Please can I ask for some advise.

I have always worked full time and am 37 years old.

I had a premature baby at the end of October and in 3 weeks time I drop down to statutory maternity pay which is £138 a week.

My partner is on a low income and earns about £138 a week.

I do not yet feel ready to leave my baby and go back to work.

Would I be entitled to housing benefit to top up my statutory maternity pay and my partners low income?

We will be bringing in approx £275 a week between us and the rent is £1000 a month. (2 bed house)

I plan to return to my job absolutely but would like to stay with my tiny baby til he is 6 or 7 months old.

I've never claimed anything before and don't know where to start.

I looked into tax credits but they base it on my last tax year and it seems I don't qualify.
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Mother Housing benefit suspended

February 6, 2016, 9:00 am
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My Mums housing benefit has been suspended due to DWP saying she has a private pension being paid that hasnt been declared when the original paper work was completed.
She has only been in sheltered accomodation for 6 months and when she applied she provided bank statements showing her only income was her state pension and little savings.
We have asked her if she has another pension she has no idea of from who or where it is being paid or aware of any bank acc with her ex
She had been living with a ex partner in a abusive relationship and is 70 years old.

What is the best way to try and track this pension and who or where it is being paid as the DWP want to see the details of this to resume or cancel housing benefit.
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Benefits and savings

February 6, 2016, 12:12 pm
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Hi

I believe that you can qualify for certain benefits - but must not have more than £16,000 in the Bank in savings?

What exactly does that mean?

If you had no savings but suddenly, for instance inherited say £20,000 which went into your Bank account - and you immediately spent, say £5,000 of that money - is the balance of £15,000 classed as 'savings' or is the original £20,000 classed as savings?

One figure puts you below the threshold and the other above...

RD
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Parents in law in trouble

February 6, 2016, 1:33 pm
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Just looking for any help

Father in law turned up for work on Tuesday to be made redundant on the spot, he was working via a agency so i assume no notice required?

situation at their home is,

Father in law, 61, newly unemployed but looking for work.

Mother in law, 63, not worked for a long time, but never claimed a single benefit ever

their son is living at their house following a relationship break up, he works full time and pays board. His child also stays their 3/4 nights a week

no mortgage but father in law does have an army pension that pays around £500 a month which he has been handing over to his wife since he left the forces


i have tried entitled to but my inlaws are proud people and they wont let me help them

thanks
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Tax on salary less than personal allowance

February 6, 2016, 3:49 pm
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Hi all.

I started work on the 1st of February. This is my first ever job in the UK. I understand that the fiscal year ends on 5 April and that my personal allowance is £10,600.

Since my yearly salary is around £32k per year, does this mean that my salaries for February and March will be tax free?
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Maternity allowance and stopping self employment

February 6, 2016, 4:08 pm
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Hi :)

A quick query with regards to maternity allowance and notifying HMRC of the fact that I will not be returning to self employment, or any kind of employment after my maternity leave finishes. I am currently in receipt of maternity allowance. If I notify HMRC now that I am stopping self employment, will they notify the DWP to stop my maternity allowance, and will it affect my NI? I know if you are employed and resign from employment, you still continue to receive statutory maternity pay so I assume it would be the same in theory for SE and MA? I can not find any information on this at all. Has anyone else been in this position and could offer some advice?

Thanks :)
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Unpredictable hobby income & Housing Benefit

February 6, 2016, 5:06 pm
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Hi everyone. Just looking for any advice anyone would be kind enough to give on my situation.

I've been doing a hobby for a while now, and as of late has brought in some money which I am feeling uneasy about due to claiming Housing Benefit/Council Tax. This hobby is by no means a steady regular income, it is unpredictable and sporadic. Some months I may get some money for something, others nothing at all. I also have not declared myself self-employed, but due to the income it will obviously be classed as 'work' and be treated as such so I think I should declare myself self-employed.

I'm at a loss as where to start.

Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you in advance.
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Invited to claim severe disability premium?

February 6, 2016, 6:11 pm
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I receive PIP & ESA, I received a letter yesterday saying I may be able to claim severe disablement premium. I have read about this and don't think I'll qualify for it because I don't live alone, I live with my parent. I threw the form away and now I'm worried I'll get in trouble for not sending it back. Does anyone know what I should do?
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No money

February 7, 2016, 4:02 am
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I have been suspended without pay from work since the 19th of January. Are there any benefits I can claim as I am running out of money and obviously have bills to pay and food to buy?
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First time benefits claim questions

February 7, 2016, 5:55 am
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Hi,

I am a PhD student in the final stages of writing up, however my scholarship is about to run out.
I will convert my study to part time at that point. I don't need much more time for writing, however I will be waiting for corrections from my supervisor.

I am actively looking for jobs (engineering). I have applied to 120 so far in the last 3 months, with responses such as 'under qualified' for a graduate job that I have studied and have work experience for.

I have good engineering skills and see a market for a few of my designs and considering self employment. However I was wondering if I would be eligible for JSA and other benefits if I'm self employed, and not making money...as I am starting up. I have very little money to support me. All I have right now is the stuff I have learnt over the years.

I have looked at the the .gov website as well as the entitlement websites.

Any advice is appreciated. I had never contemplated that I will need to apply for unemployment benefits and know nothing about it.

Many thanks
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Childcare vouchers or TC?

February 7, 2016, 7:00 am
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Good afternoon!

I'm trying to get my head round something, and I wonder if anyone could make it clear please..

I work full time, my partner is a carer (receiving carers allowance). We have a toddler, who we pay childcare for. We currently claim the childcare on the tax credits, as my partner is classed as 'incapacitated' for work under their rules, therefore receive up to 70% in our CTC.

However, housing benefit don't consider it under the same rules. And they slashed our housing benefit because they included the extra amount in tax credits we get (up to 70% of the childcare). They don't count my partner as 'incapacitated' for work, therefore we qualify for 0 childcare disregard.

A couple of months have passed and this is beginning to be a problem, our outgoings are above our incomings, with no money in 'reserve' to make up the gap anymore, and I don't know what we can do.

We considered if using childcare vouchers through my employer could be a better option. We could claim the money that way, get the slight tax buff, no longer receive the 'higher' child tax credits, and therefore would be declaring a lower amount of tax credits to housing benefit. I'm getting so confused though, I wonder how they'd view our income then? Essentially on face value I'd assume they'd pay more housing benefit again as our tax credits have gone down. My net wages would be lower once the childcare vouchers are deducted, I don't know if they'd include the childcare vouchers as they'd say we're 'not entitled to childcare help', but then still be using the same 'net' figure as they do now, orrr maybe they'd take the net we receive, which crazily sounds like they'd pay more housing benefit than they did before which surely can't be the case?!

I'm so confused with all of this :/ Any advice would be appreciated, thanks!
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Housing Benefit Query

February 7, 2016, 7:24 am
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Hello new to the forum and wondered I anyone had had the same experience as me, with their housing benefit claim.

I work 30hrs within a school but my wage is not pro rata, so I do not get paid for LEA holidays. In previous years I have struggled by but in 2015 decided to try and claim help for the 4 weeks in August I do not receive any income, other than £31.00 per week working tax credits. I was told I did not qualify. I have queried this twice and this week received a letter saying that because my term time income spread out over the whole year works out to £175.00 per week I do not qualify as my earning are too high. I am not trying to claim all year round, only for the 4 weeks of August. I just want to double check this is right. Is there anyone out there who works term time, who can shed some light on this for me...many thanks.
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Could someone help me work out tax credits please?

February 7, 2016, 11:41 am
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I'm being made redundant in June after 20+ years with the same company. In 2015/16 tax year I earned £18K and my partner earned £10K p/a. (has been the same amount for the previous few years).

So at the end of June my income will be zero :( and partner's will still be £10K.

We have two school aged children and are aged 47 and 48 and don't have much in the way of savings.

We currently get around £30 per week child tax credit as we were overpaid a few years back and are still paying it back. So based on new figures of me not working and earned £18K last year, how much tax credits (working + child) would we possibly get per week?

Thanks for any help at all. This is pretty much all over my head. Also doesn't help that CAB have told us because I've worked all my life and husband is still working we'll not really be entitled to benefits (maybe JSA but only for 6 months). :mad:
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lease car

February 7, 2016, 11:45 am
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I currently pay £107 per month out of my wage for my lease car which is through my company. I also pay the tax on the car. So why is the tax credit people taking more of me thru my tax credits? I state this is a lease car which I pay for and not a company car.
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