Tax credits

Who can get tax credits?

Tax credits are not a tax allowance or a tax relief and you do not have to be paying tax to claim them.

You can receive Child Tax Credit if you are responsible for a child who lives with you. You can receive Working Tax Credit if you are working and your wages are low. Tax credits can also help with childcare costs if you are working.

If you are an international student from outside the European Economic Area you are not entitled to tax credits as these are classified as public funds. If you are married to a British citizen please seek advice.

Child Tax Credit

You can claim Child Tax Credit for any child living with you who is

• age 16 or below
• between 16 and 19 and in full time education or approved training

Child Tax Credit is a means-tested benefit for people responsible for children, regardless of whether you are employed, unemployed or a full time student. Most of your student funding is not taken into account when your tax credit is calculated. If you have at least one dependent child you can claim. If you are a heterosexual couple or if you have entered into a civil partnership, you make a joint claim.

You can find out more about making a claim here.

Working Tax Credit

You do not need to have a dependent child or a disability to claim Working Tax Credit if you are:

• 25 or over and
• working more than 30 hours per week

If you have a dependent child under 16 or you have a disability, you can claim Working Tax Credit if you are working 16 hours or more per week. The credit is means-tested and you can claim it if you are self-employed.

If you pay for childcare and you are not receiving the Childcare Grant, you may get help with your childcare costs through Working Tax Credit.

You can find out more about making a claim here.

Student income

Any income you get from Maintenance Loans, Maintenance Grants, and University Bursaries is disregarded in full. Any income you get from  Parents' Learning Allowance, Childcare Grant and NHS Bursary is also disregarded.

If you are given money by the Access to Learning Fund, that will not be taken into account for tax credits.

Any Adult Dependents Grant and the living costs element of a Professional and Career Development Loan is taken into account as income.

Change of circumstances

You must inform HM Revenue and Customs if your circumstances change, for example:

• if you were a couple but have now split up
• if you were single but you are now part of a couple
• if the number of children you are responsible for changes
• if a child starts or stops full time education
• if you or your partner becomes or stops being disabled
• if your income or the hours you work changes

You can report changes in your circumstances by calling the Tax Credits Helpline: 0345 300 3900.