Tax Credits

There are two types of Tax Credits: Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit.

Child Tax Credit

You may be entitled to Child Tax Credit if you have children, whether you are working or not.

The amount you can claim will depend on:

• the number of children you have
• your weekly childcare costs
• your annual household income - this includes any other state benefits you may receive.

Am I eligible for Child Tax Credit?

For information on eligibility, see GOV.UK: Child Tax Credit - Eligibility

Benefit cap

Child Tax Credit is subject to the benefit cap. If you claim Working Tax Credit the cap does not apply to you.

To find out if you are likely to be affected by the cap, please visit GOV.UK.

How to claim Child Tax Credit

See GOV.UK: Child Tax Credit - How to claim

Working Tax Credit - childcare element

Working Tax Credit supports you if you are in work and on a low income by topping up your earnings.

On top of the basic amount, you can get extra to help pay for childcare costs. This is called the childcare element of Working Tax Credit.

Am I eligible for Working Tax Credit?

To claim Working Tax credit you must:

• be 16 or older
• be in paid work (you can be employed or self-employed)
• in paid work that lasts at least four weeks
• work a minimum number of hours.

For more information on eligibility, see GOV.UK: Working Tax Credit - Eligibility

How to claim

Call the Tax Credit Helpline for a claim form.

Tel: 0345 300 3900

More information

Find out more about tax credits on GOV.UK:

• Child Tax Credit
• Working Tax Credit

Tax Credit Helpline: 0345 300 3900