Working tax credits - how much you can get

This advice applies to Scotland. See advice for See advice for England, See advice for Northern Ireland, See advice for Wales

Universal Credit has replaced working tax credits for most people. Before you make a claim, you should check if you can get working tax credits. You might need to claim Universal Credit instead.

The amount you'll get depends on your circumstances.

If you're 18 or over, you can use the Turn2us benefits calculator to work out how much you can get. You’ll need to provide details of your income, working hours and childcare.

You won’t know exactly how much you’ll get in tax credits until HMRC processes your claim. This can take up to 5 weeks from when you make your claim.

How much you’ll get depends on your income and savings or investments. It also depends on whether you’re:

  • in a couple applying together

  • a single parent

  • working at least 30 hours a week

  • disabled

  • severely disabled

  • paying for childcare

Make sure HMRC know about any of these that apply to you as you might get more money.

Cost of Living Payments

The government sent the last Cost of Living Payment of £299 during spring 2024. They haven’t announced any more payments. 

You should have got the Cost of Living payment of £299 between 6 and 22 February 2024. To get the payment you must have been entitled to a tax credit payment between 13 November and 12 December 2023.

If you didn’t get the last payment

If you think you should have received a Cost of Living Payment, you can report a missing payment on GOV.UK.

If you’re disabled

You might be able to get extra tax credits payments - called the ‘disability element’ - if you’re claiming (or have recently claimed) a sickness or disability benefit, for example:

  • Disability Living Allowance (DLA)

  • Attendance Allowance (AA)

  • Pension Age Disability Payment

  • Personal Independence Payment (PIP)

  • Adult Disability Payment

  • Armed Forces Independence Payment

You’ll qualify for extra payments if your disability means you’re disadvantaged in getting a job. The tax credits disability helpsheet on GOV.UK explains which benefits are included, and what counts as ‘disadvantaged’.

Your extra payments will increase further - known as the ‘severe disability element’ - if you get:

  • the highest rate of the care component of DLA

  • the enhanced rate of the daily living component of PIP

  • the enhanced rate of the daily living component of Adult Disability Payment

  • the higher rate of Attendance Allowance

  • the higher rate of Pension Age Disability Payment.

If you're 18 or over, you can use the Turn2us benefits calculator to check if you can get extra disability payments.

If you claim as a couple and you’re both disabled, you’ll get an extra payment each.

Help with childcare costs

You'll need to be working at least 16 hours a week to get help with childcare costs. 

To qualify, your childcare provider needs to be:

  • a registered childminder, nursery or other registered provider

  • an out-of-hours club on school premises run by a school or local authority

  • a childcare scheme run by an approved provider

You can check if your childcare is approved on the Scottish Care Inspectorate website.

If your childcare provider’s related to your child, they only qualify if they look after your child away from your home, and they are registered or approved. To be registered or approved, they usually also have to look after children they’re not related to. This applies to the child’s:

  • parents

  • grandparents

  • aunts and uncles

  • brothers and sisters

This applies even if they aren’t blood relations (for example step parents).

If you're part of a couple

You'll both usually need to work at least 16 hours a week. In some cases, you'll qualify if one of you can't work - for example due to illness.

Contact your nearest Citizens Advice if you or your partner can't work - an adviser can help you work out if you can get help with childcare.