Tax credits

[Brightness]

OK I will explain. In some jobs like police they move the officers around (or used to). Say the officer was married with a few kids and a mortgage and was then sent to work 100 miles away....

He would have the option of travelling and paying petrol every day or relocating his family. Even an 'exchange' for a like for like house in a different area could equate to around a £100K more. He would not be eligible for a council house and his only other option would be to rent. Why should he have to sell his house and rent after struggling to buy it in the first place?

It's probably not worth his wife working more than part time as the child care would swallow the extras in wages etc. That's what I meant WYL. Maybe I was reading more into the situation but what I was getting at is who are we to judge someone who says that they cannot afford to pay back the £1500. OK he might have a good job but it's hardly their fault if they were overpaid tax credits. Who knows what their outgoings are?

I know a few people who actually queried the amount of credits they were getting and were assured the were correct, the money then went on things for the family and nicer food etc. The tax credits people are now saying they have been overpaid and want the money back.

They shouldn't have been overpaid in the first place end of story.

 

[WoodYouLike]

OK I will explain. In some jobs like police they move the officers around (or used to). Say the officer was married with a few kids and a mortgage and was then sent to work 100 miles away....

All clear now, thanks.

 

[Brightness]

Sorry, should have explained a bit better in the first place

 

[splinter]

What about taking into account the fact that they might have had to take out a big mortgage just to get on the housing ladder as well. We really shouldn't criticise people's incomings until we know what their outgoings are.

Sorry Brightness, but if you don't have the income, don't start the outcome!
I know all about the property ladder stuff etc, but getting tax-credit because you wanted to get on the property ladder, so you get a big mortgage and the rest of us (most not on the property ladder) are paying your tax credit?????

I do get your drift, your example just made toes cringe.

Just love that last sentence

 

[anobium]

OK I will explain. In some jobs like police they move the officers around (or used to). Say the officer was married with a few kids and a mortgage and was then sent to work 100 miles away....

He would have the option of travelling and paying petrol every day or relocating his family. Even an 'exchange' for a like for like house in a different area could equate to around a £100K more. He would not be eligible for a council house and his only other option would be to rent. Why should he have to sell his house and rent after struggling to buy it in the first place?

Sorry to harp on about this example Brightness , but, and correct me if I am wrong, if the employer, the police authority, says you have to move don't they give various loans and allowances to cover the costs of relocating.
On the other hand if the employee decides to move of his own volition, to an area were housing is more expensive, why should the tax payer subsidise him.?

 

[splinter]

Working tax credits are caculated on income.
Child tax credits are awarded per child up to the age of 19,and stillin full time education,I think the age limit might of rose to 21 in 2006 budget

 

[Brightness]

Sorry to harp on about this example Brightness , but, and correct me if I am wrong, if the employer, the police authority, says you have to move don't they give various loans and allowances to cover the costs of relocating.
On the other hand if the employee decides to move of his own volition, to an area were housing is more expensive, why should the tax payer subsidise him.?

Hi Anobium, not harping on at all. OK then, I will give you a little story about what happened to us a few years ago. My hubby who works for the govt., but is not a policeman (!!!!) was asked to move away from the area we live in now & was promised all sorts of stuff.

We ended up buying a house that was about half the size of the one we had here & they paid the 'moving expenses'. We had to take out a much higher mortgage than the one we already had as houses were much more expensive in that area. When hubby went to his superiors and told them that he wasn't happy and that he'd been promised 'like for like' on everything they brought out a manual .....

Apparently the govt. uses info that is about 10 years out of date to decide who gets what . We got bare 'moving costs' that left us with massive bills that we had to fund out of our own pockets - this was before we'd even gotten into our new house! In the end we moved back to where we are living now and I have told hubby that the only way he is to move again for them is if it's to somewhere within travelling distance as there's no way that I am uprooting again!

My cousin is married to a Policeman and this has happened to them too. I do agree though that if someone wants to go on their own account that they should pay for it themselves.