Amend multiple tax credit instruments in order to achieve a series of changes to update and clarify the tax credit system.
Partly on 6 April 2012; Fully on 1 May 2012
Legislation Affected
SI 2002/2005, SI 2002/2006, SI 2002/2007, SI 2002/2014, SI 2002/2173, SI 2003/653, SI 2003/654, SI 2003/742 amended
Alter the qualifying working hours for a couple with children in relation to working tax credit, requiring couples with children to work 24 hours a week between the two of them. One partner must work at least 16 of these.
Reduce the time for backdating and paying claims to a third of their previous levels, from 93 days to 31 days. Halve the period in which someone must notify HMRC about the account into which tax credits should be paid to four weeks. Remove entitlement to the 50+ elements of the working tax credit.
Clarify the position in relation to children with their sixteenth birthday falling
