Working tax credit

Tax credits are payments made from the state to support those with children or in work but with a low income. They're paid via the tax office and anyone aged over 16 who normally lives in the UK can apply to get them. They are also known as working families tax credit.

There are two types of tax credits; working tax credit which is designed for people who earn low wages and child tax credit which is a payment for parents to provide support for the cost of raising children.

Changes introduced by the coalition government as part of the 2010 comprehensive spending review in October 2010 mean that a couple with children have to work 24 hours a week between them in order to be eligible for the working tax credit.

	700,000 working people face council tax increase From April 1st, up to 3.2 million working age people face paying between £96 and £555 in Council Tax after benefit changes are introduced.
	HMRC misses tax credit fraud target by £5 billion A new report by the Public Accounts Committee has found that HMRC has only managed to reduce fraud and error in the tax credit system by £3 billion after being set a target of £8 billion by the government.
	HMRC told to "get a grip" on tax credit fraud and error Margaret Hodge MP has told HMRC to get a grip on fraud and error within the tax credit system after planned savings of £1.4 billion only resulted in savings of less than £500 million.
	Iain Duncan Smith plans tax credit reforms to stop fraud Iain Duncan Smith, Secretary of State for the Department of Work and Pensions says that Labour’s tax credit system is open to fraud and has cost taxpayers £10 billion so far.
	ONS: More men than women working beyond state pension age The Office for National Statistics reveals that more men than women and a higher proportion of self-employed workers are working beyond state retirement age.