Working Tax Credits?

[rufio89]

Does anyone know why you cant claim working tax credits when you're under 25? I did the calculator thing and it said I dont qualify because I'm under 25 and i changed the d.o.b and it said if i was 25 I'd be able to get about 600-700 a year, which would be reallllllllly helpful...

i accept that I cant claim it, but does anyone know why??

[Bel Bel]

i don't know but it's like min wage it's different at different age scales
i know if you had a child you would qualify under 25, so as to encourage mothers to go back to work

[Liquidius]

I'm pretty sure it's only over 25's...because I looked at the same thing a while back. Not 100% though.

[rufio89]

It definatly is only over 25s. I just want to know why

[dipsydoodlenoodle]

It may be because a lot of under 25s are in education still or only have part time jobs until they realise they need a proper job; and you don't want to encourage a 16 year old that they will be rewarded with free money for going to work 3 hours a week.

[LemonJuice87]

I miss working tax credits. I've got a 18 month old now and i had to leave work due to not having enough hours. So i would of ended up paying back all the working tax credits.

Ive been used to that lifestyle and now i'm really broke and REALLY want to work. But i cant find anything suitable. =[

[brfc]

I miss working tax credits. I've got a 18 month old now and i had to leave work due to not having enough hours. So i would of ended up paying back all the working tax credits.

Ive been used to that lifestyle and now i'm really broke and REALLY want to work. But i cant find anything suitable. =[

yes bit annoying that. im a security guard (well till after xmas) but they keep messing around with my hours. i told them i wanted 40 hours a week as i wanted a balance of work and home life and they said that was fine but they kept pestering me too work everyday even had 13 hour shifts so i told them no thx to some jobs now they havnt offered me hardly anything next week grrr

if employers treated there staff better they,d get better staff i think.

[retrochav]

I'm a welfare officer and its a question that i have asked government ministers, and the answer is pathetic!

In essence it is because its assumed that being under 25 means you are statistically more likely to live at home, be in a flat share, have supportive parrents, and if not... the government would like to push you into one of those groups!!!

Infact, benefit levels are lower (by about £10 per week) for those 24years, 364 days old or less. However, being on benefit and living at home, does not affect the housing benefit of an older claimant, whereas be 25 and you are expected to contribute £7.50 per week????

The real reason - you under 25s are less likely to vote. There is no other justification - we all face the same costs, rents and anything else - but until the 18 - 25 begin voting in force, you'll get a rotten deal off any government

[rufio89]

thank you RetroChav that's very helpful!!

But oh my god how unfair!!! I have bills to pay, I'm only 19 so companies dont think they have to pay me very much, and I dont live at home! I moved out as soon as I was 18, I vote, I pay taxes. How mean!!! and I've got another 6 years of doing those things before I'm 25. How annoying.

[retrochav]

You have my sympathy, at 18 i had guardianship of my six week old and my six year old cousins. For two years i was living in a council flat with bills to pay, kids to feed and less money than a person of 25 who had simply gotten pregnant twice and paid no interest in their children!

It is a ridiculous assumption to make that all people under 25 live at home with financially supporting parrents - but until young people organise and make a powerful voting block, its just another way to discriminate against sections of society. It was done with race, sex, sexuality and disability, and older age - younger age is still acceptable...until collective action is taken.

[snail]

You have my sympathy, at 18 i had guardianship of my six week old and my six year old cousins. For two years i was living in a council flat with bills to pay, kids to feed and less money than a person of 25

If you ever get a chance to tell us your life story somewhere on PP, Retrochav, I'd be very interested to hear it.

Apologies for hijacking Ruth's thread.

[Bel Bel]

me too
you seem to have had a really colourful life and a book would be sooo interesting

[rufio89]

hijack away, my question has been answered, and you are right - I would also like to hear...