I know there have been a fair few posts about things like CTF, SS grant, HIP grant, CB, CTC, WTC... (argh death by abbreviations! Benefits basically!) but two things:

1) What's the difference between Child Tax Credit and Working Tax credit? (Or are they the same thing?!)

and 2) When they say that you need: "Child Tax Credit at a rate higher than the family element" - to claim stuff... well what the chuff is that and how would you know if you had it

Thanks for any light you can shed, or at least confirm that it's as confusing as I'm thinking! xx

Working tax credits you need to be earning under £16000 I think and working child tax credit you can getwithout working

Child tax credit is seperate and most people get the family element (well for now) so higher than the family lement is higher than £500 and something

Ta for reply - is that £500 and something a month?!

No for the year so you need to be getting more than £10 a week ctc

Afterpip is born you'll get the baby element aswell though so it will need to be over £20 a week

It is confusing...

All I know is that I get CTC and dont work. CTC as far as I know is income based and alot of families get at least something.

WTC you have to work to be able to claim, for single people its 16 hrs and I think in a cpl it has to be 30 hrs (Could be wrong!) It is quite a low cap though it may be more than 16k - id applied for an 18k job and got quoted entitlement to WTC and CTC, didnt get job in the end and remember im classed as single so it could well be different in a cpl.

As for the higher than the family element I dont have a clue!

If it was £500 a month I'd be even more fuddled - and wondering where I'd gone wrong

And is that over £1k if two children

Sooo... you can be getting both CTC and WTC - or it's one or the other, depending if you and OH work or not?

Sorry to baffle on a Sunday afternoon!

I honestly can't be doing with JobCentre (why are they called that when they are default to call for ANYthing benfit related?!) - a couple of hours on the phone to be told either what I already know or to be told it was a waste of breath will send me loopy! So there's things you can apply for online instead... but it's figuring out if it's applicable to us or not xx

You get ctc and wtc if you qualify for both

at the moment i get statutory maternity pay, plus working tax credit (cos im on maternity that is classed as working full time) and child tax credit.

child tax credit is means tested but you will get something - it goes down once baby turns 1. working tax credit you need to be working a min. of 16 hours per week (you or oh i think) but it goes up if its 35 hours +, you also might get some childcare paid. (i.e i wont get working tax credit once im off maternity).

its a bit of a nightmare i feel like iv earned another degree trying to figure it out.

also the jobcentre wont tell you anything about tax credits, you need to phone or go to a local tax office for that (handy! harhar) - the number is 0845 300 3900 - if you want quotes for amounts you will need to hassle them but they should be able to give you an idea, if you use the calculator though it will only tell you up til next april so bare that in mind! (calculator is http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/taxcredits/payments-entitlement/entitlement/question-how-much.htm)

good luck!

Need to fish out our forms don't I...

Thanks Mari - I have a feeling I am going to pass that info on to hubby with a "oooo, I just need a quick lie down'...

I'm sure they could make these things simpler! Why put the "Child Tax Credit at a rate higher than the family element" - instead of quantifying it or say something like "your paperwork willl be coloured purple if this is applicable'" (ok, so maybe that would be toooo simple for them to do for us! ) xx

i know i am in a major huff with tax credits just now (can't you tell by the various angry posts haha), i hope you get some sense out of them

It is verrrryyy confusing lol!

We both work but only get CTC - so clearly earn too much to get WTC :-(

Saying that I haven't even had CTC for almost 4 months now since I rang them up to say I am now self employed ...should still be entitled but not had any Think I might give them a ring cos its still £40 a month!

Ctc at the higher rate is if your total income is below 16k.
Wtc is only for those that work over 16 hours ( single) over 30 (cpl) and income of less than 16k.

I don't work have 3 children, James works 40 hrs and earns less than 16k - I get ctc, James gets wtc both paid same day in same account ??

I get free dental, prescriptions etc and was entitled to maternity grant £500 as I'd worked during the year leading up to my pregnancy.
It really is a mine field best thing to do is get all your paperwork together with earnings etc and call them you'll be surprised

yeah like emma says, just get everything you can possible get (p60s, maternity leave dates/payments, bank statements, everything you can think of) and give them a ring

Im wondering why I was quoted entitlement to WTC when I may have been earning 18K? More than the 16k alot of people mention as the cut off.

Either the cut off for WTC is higher than 16k or the figures I was quoted was based on last years income (which I find a bit stupid as it seems to give you less money when you need it more and vice versa.)

I don't think you get any WTC at £18k, that's what I was on, although Dan was on a lot more so I suppose its a combined income

Does your OHs income get included at all?

Nope - which I think is kinda wrong with us being engaged but they just keep saying well if he isnt registered as living there... (I had thought about saying he did but then that would just cause strife with MIL as she claims carers for him which I wouldnt if he lived her. She doesnt earn a lot cleaning PT and I think if she lost carers I/we would be worst in world Bad enough she gets his DLA too as housekeep atm & he contributes to extra oil/tv etc - honestly we are prob worse off trying not to upset her.)

Anyway, the job was def 18k and I was quoted as getting £60 a week WTC on top of salary. Thats not including CTC that would nearly cover full time nursey in my area. I was pretty shocked by this as obviously they dont think I need that amount to live as Im not getting it now and on way less on IS. Maybe the amounts would drop significantly in 2nd yr working though due to based on previous tax year.

OH gets WTC disability element in own right. Think if we made a joint claim he would still get it. He works 18/19hrs at £6/7 an hr. I dont think though i would then get £60 a week on top of his WTC, I think his would be for both of us - but I wouldnt give a toot if id a job!

Its not the fairest system in the world if I say so myself!

It goes by last years income snoop but then again if you phoned them to give them figures surely they would have worked it out on those

Who knows ollies mummy. Yup they did take the income of what the job would be (which I didnt even get a fecking interview for grr grr grr!) but they did mention something about CTC/WTC rates Nov 10-April 11 and then recalcualting for April 11-Mar 12 and there only was a cpl £ dif a week.

I still think they look at last years income figures. Think thats how alot of people can get stung for repayments. Im as confused as most about it all!

Yep I thought my student finance forms were confusing but the tc done my head right in!

Yeh they do normally work on last years figures - but if they are loads different you can ask for this years to be used - which I always have as I was FT before I had Izzy but when I went on SMP I rang to so and they recalculated the year based on that - which was a good job because prior to that they said we couldn't have any

It is fair that your OHs wages aren't taken into consideration though Snoop, I remember you saying now - if he doesnt live with you then even if he helps with bills they would see that as supported his child so it doesnt matter.
If you say he lives there, when he doesnt it would be a problem as you would end up paying full council tax too