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You might not be in work for a short while - perhaps because you have a gap before starting your next job. If so, you may still be treated as working, and be able to get Working Tax Credit, depending on the hours you usually work.
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Your usual working hours were the hours you worked every week before you went on leave. To get Working Tax Credit, you must normally be aged 25 or over and work at least 30 hours a week. But you only need to work 16 hours or more a week if you are:
You should expect your paid work to continue for at least four weeks.
Working out usual working hours for your tax credits claim
What counts as work for Working Tax Credit
If your employer has no work for you and has laid you off, you can usually carry on getting Working Tax Credit. This is for between four to eight weeks. How long you can carry on getting Working Tax Credit depends on whether:
You're laid off from work - is your Working Tax Credit affected?
For the first ten days that you're on strike you're still treated as being in work and will get Working Tax Credit.
If you're on strike for more than ten days, you won’t be able to get Working Tax Credit. You must let the Tax Credit Office know within a month. You can do this by calling the Tax Credit Helpline. You won't be able to claim Working Tax Credit until you have gone back to work.
Contact details for the Tax Credit Helpline
If you're suspended from work while complaints or claims against you are looked into, you can get Working Tax Credit. But this is provided you worked at least 16 or 30 hours a week immediately before the suspension.
If you're between jobs for six days or less, your Working Tax Credit payments will continue. But this is as long as you work for 16 hours or more a week.
If you reduce your weekly working hours to less than 16 or you stop work altogether, your Working Tax Credit will stop. But it doesn’t stop immediately - you'll get it for a further four weeks from the date of the change.
If you can't work due to sickness or incapacity, you may still be able to get Working Tax Credit.
Working Tax Credit when you can't work due to illness
If you're on maternity leave, you may get Working Tax Credit for up to 39 weeks. This is the first 26 weeks of ordinary maternity leave and the first 13 weeks of any additional maternity leave.
If you're on paternity leave, you may get Working Tax Credit for the two weeks of ordinary paternity leave, and for any additional paternity leave.
If you're on adoption leave, you may get Working Tax Credit for up to 39 weeks. This is the first 26 weeks of ordinary adoption leave and the first 13 weeks of any additional adoption leave.
Maternity, paternity and adoption leave and tax credits
Find out about other changes you need to report
