WTC Claim progress... It gets there eventually! ;-))

[Pat Winstanley]

Success! ;-)))

(Not sure it is right though... I had estimated it at about £20 a week
more.)

Married couple, no kids under 19, one of couple works 40 hrs per week.
Other of couple doesn't have paid work due to disability. Income figures
as below.

We sent off the original claim around 18th May 2003, giving the
2001/2002 household income but additionally pointing out that the
2003/2004 income is expected to be substantially less (£45k then and
around £7k expected now).

June 25th we received an award of £zero based on 2001/2002 figures.

Within a couple of days I sent the letter below (no accounts etc, just
the letter).

Today (16th July) we received an amended award. £3700 roughly payable to
us for the financial year 2003/2004.

========================================================================
<address, case ref nos etc deleted>

Dear Sir,

We have today received notification of our Tax Credits Award for
06/04/2003 to 05/04/2004. However our household estimated income for the
year 2003/2004 will bear no resemblance to that of 2001/2002 on which
the award has been based.

<Person A> became unemployed at the beginning of April 2002 following a
long illness. <Person A> then claimed JSA until February 2003. From
February 2003 <Person A> has been operating a startup business <Business
C> which as yet shows no operating (taxable) profit, and is not expected
to do so until around January/February 2004 at the earliest. By
Spring/Summer 2004 we should be able to make a clearer estimate for the
following year, and also be able to furnish you with the actual figure
for earned income during 2003/2004 from the partnership accounts.

Obviously we expect to have any amount awarded on the estimated figures
below adjusted for overpayment or underpayment of WTC once the actual
figures for 2003/2004 are known. We are also happy to notify you
promptly should it become obvious before then of a significant
difference either way between the estimated and actual figures.

We estimate that the household income (relevant to WTC) for the tax
year 06/04/2003 to 05/04/2004 will be approximately as follows:

<Person A>:
Share of profits from <Business C> £3600

<Person B>:
Incapacity Benefit (LT HR) £3640

Total Expected Relevant Household Income Y/E 05/04/2004 £7240

The only other income currently coming into the household is approx
£2000 pa DLA (HR Mobility) for <Person B>… we understand this is
ignored.

Please feel free to contact us by phone anytime should you need more
details.

In the meantime we would be grateful if you could revise the Working Tax
Credit award in the light of the above.


<Person A> <Person B>
(<Person A NI Number>) (<Person B NI Number>)

========================================================================

 

[Pat Winstanley]

We sent off the original claim around 18th May 2003, giving the
2001/2002 household income but additionally pointing out that the
2003/2004 income is expected to be substantially less (£45k then and
around £7k expected now).

June 25th we received an award of £zero based on 2001/2002 figures.

Within a couple of days I sent the letter below (no accounts etc, just
the letter).

Today (16th July) we received an amended award. £3700 roughly payable to
us for the financial year 2003/2004.

Forgot to mention... An immediate payment of about £1000- has gone into
the bank, presumably backdated at about £300+ per month for Apr, May,
Jun since the award is for the whole tax year.

(And the money is IN THE BANK!!! ;-)))

 

[smicker]

Success! ;-)))

(Not sure it is right though... I had estimated it at about £20 a week
more.)

Married couple, no kids under 19, one of couple works 40 hrs per week.
Other of couple doesn't have paid work due to disability. Income figures
as below.

We sent off the original claim around 18th May 2003, giving the
2001/2002 household income but additionally pointing out that the
2003/2004 income is expected to be substantially less (£45k then and
around £7k expected now).

June 25th we received an award of £zero based on 2001/2002 figures.

Within a couple of days I sent the letter below (no accounts etc, just
the letter).

Today (16th July) we received an amended award. £3700 roughly payable to
us for the financial year 2003/2004.

Well done. You knew what you had to do and you done successfully. Some
just accept what they are told and go without but folks like you are
an example of standing up against stupid nonsense.
smicker

 

[Pat Winstanley]

Well done. You knew what you had to do and you done successfully. Some
just accept what they are told and go without but folks like you are
an example of standing up against stupid nonsense.

It's not so much "stupid nonsense" as not thought through completely,
and more to the point woefully under(wo)manned!

However my reason for posting was to give people some idea of the time
scale involved, and what to do if their income now is very different
from that of a few years ago. The initial application *will* be based on
income a couple of years ago, even if you tell them of the change at the
initial application. Just have the current incoime figures (and any
reasonable proof such as copies of payslips etc if available) and be
ready to ask for reconsideration pretty much by return of post.

I don't know whether it helped that with the initial application they
were warned that an award based on the earlier year *would* be referred
back immediately for recalculation for current year. Perhaps they would
sort the papers into a still pending file rather than finished with
file.

Also I wanted to point out what to do where fairly new self-employment
is concerned.

It's also worth noting that you do NOT have to have dependent children
to claim... unlike the old Family Credit (and maybe the more recent
WFTC).

Hopefully the letter will also be a guide to the sort of
detail/explanation the IR need when you ask for ther award to be
recalculated in the light of the difference of income.