Working Tax Credit

The Working Tax Credit is available to all workers, regardless if you have children or not. It does not matter if you are employed by an organization or if you are self-employed. The amount of the tax credit you receive is dependent upon your income level.

To qualify for the Working Tax Credit, you must fall into one of the following four categories:

  • You are over 16 years old and are responsible for a child or young person and work over 16 hours a week.
  • You are 25 or over and work at least 30 or more hours per week. In this case, you do not have to have a child or young person in order to submit a claim.
  • You over 16 years old and work at least 16 hours per week; You are disabled and currently receive a benefit related to your disability. (An example qualifying benefit – Incapacity Benefit, Statutory Sick Pay, Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit, Employment and Support Allowance, Disability Living Allowance, Attendance Allowance)
  • You are 50 years of age or older, work over 16 hours per week and have been receiving certain benefits for the last six months, prior to starting work. (An example qualifying benefit – Incapacity Benefit or Severe Disablement Allowance, Income Support, Jobseeker’s Allowance, state Retirement Pension paid with Pension Credit or certain training allowances)

In order to receive the Working Tax Credit your income must be low enough, and you must be living in the UK. If you are an immigrant living in the UK, your immigration status will determine if you qualify for Working Tax Credit. If you are not sure of your right to make a claim, contact the Tax Credits Helpline for assistance.

For a simple and easy way to determine your estimated Working Tax Credit entitlement, you can use an online tax credits calculator.