Help for Working Age Claimants
On this page you will find helpful information regarding:
- Tax Credits
- Extended Payments
- Rapid Reclaims
Tax Credits
Working age Tax Credits
The tax credits for working age
people replace:
- Children’s Tax Credit
- Working Families Tax Credit
- Disabled Persons Tax Credit
- The New Deals 50+ Employment Credit
- The money paid in Income Support and Income Based Jobseekers
Allowance for children.
You are likely to get Tax Credits if you
are on a low income and you may still be eligible even if you do
not have children.
Child Tax Credit
This replaces the Children’s Tax Credit
and the child element in Income Support and Income Based Job
Seekers Allowance. It is paid to people who are responsible for a
child under 16 or a young person under 19 who is in full time
education (up to A level /NVQ level 3) or registered with the
Connexions or Careers Service. It is paid whether you work or
not and will be paid to the main carer of the child/young
person.
An allowance will be given for each
child/young person and for those families with any children under
one you will get an extra allowance. Extra allowances will
also be given for children who get Disability Living Allowance or
are registered (or were registered within the last 28 weeks) as
blind.
For more information visit HMRC Tax Credits where you
find out if you are eligible and even work out how much you could
be entitled to.
Helping you back into work
It can be a difficult time moving from
benefits back into work and can also mean that you worry about how
you will be able to meet your rental payments. For those of
you who have been in receipt of certain benefits you may be
entitled to extra housing benefit payments at the end of your
claim, these are known as Extended Payments.
Extended Payments
What are they?
Four weeks extra Council Tax and Housing
Benefit for certain people moving from Job Seekers Allowance,
Income Support, Severe Disability Benefit or Incapacity
Benefit into employment.
Who Can Claim?
Anyone who starts work or increases their
working hours to more than 16 per week and:
has been in receipt of Income Based Job
Seekers Allowance, Income Support, Incapacity Benefit or
Severe Disability Benefit immediately prior to starting work (or
increased hours) and has been on one or more of these benefits for
at least 26 weeks and expect the job or increased hours to last at
least 5 weeks.
How do I claim?
If you fulfil the above criteria we may be
able to award extended payments to you automatically,
however to be sure ask us to look at this for you. If
you stop receiving benefit because you are returning to work
enquire about extended payments as soon as possible to avoid
any lost housing or council tax payments.
How much will I get?
The amount we pay will be the same as the
amount of benefit you received before you began work (unless you
move during the 4 week period). This remains the same for the
4 weeks irrespective of any changes in income or whether anyone
joins or leaves your household.
What if I move during the four weeks
extended payment period?
If you move we will continue to pay the
amount of rent allowance we were paying at the time you made your
claim for the extended payment.
Fast Track Claims
What are they?
Because you may still need help when you start
work, we offer a "fast track service" for your in work
claim. This means that there will be a continuous service if
you take advantage of the extended payment scheme and wish to
claim help with rent or council tax, after the four week
period.
It is a way to make the transition into work
easier for you. However, in order to take advantage of this
scheme the claim form must be received within 8 days of your
Income Support, Job Seekers Allowance, Incapacity Benefit or Severe
Disability Benefit ending.
Even if you do not have the necessary
evidence to support your in work claim, do not delay sending in
your form. We will write to you asking you to supply the necessary
information once we have looked at your form.
Rapid Reclaims
What is a rapid reclaim?
It is a scheme to encourage people back to
work even if the work is temporary or insecure. People who have
only worked for a short while can have their Housing and Council
Tax Benefit reinstated without having to make a completely fresh
claim.
Who can claim?
You need to reclaim Housing or Council
Tax Benefit within 12 weeks of your previous claim ending, because
of starting work. Your circumstances must not have
changed since you last received Income Support or Job Seekers
Allowance.
How do I claim?
Complete an NHBRR1 form at your nearest Job
Centre Plus or Department of Work and Pension Office.
In Work Credit
What is In Work Credit?
In Work Credit is a fixed tax-free payment of £40 per week (£60
per week in London) for parents bringing up children alone. It is
payable for up to 52 weeks on top of your earnings, when you start
work of at least 16 hours per week. You need to claim for it before
you start work.
Who is eligible?
You may get In Work Credit if you are:
- bringing up children on your own
- starting work of at least 16 hours a week
- expect that work to last five weeks or more
You must also have been getting Income Support or Jobseeker's
Allowance or a combination of these benefits for at least 52 weeks
or more without a break.
How do I claim In Work Credit?
You must claim before you start work. The
claim form for In Work Credit must be completed and returned to
your nearest Jobcentre Plus office within five weeks of
starting work.
For more information about In Work Credit,
please contact Jobcentre Plus.