How Stupid is the Tax Credit System for Cancer Sufferers (or any low earner having regular hospital appointments)
(To read my cancer story from the beginning start here – April / May 2018 – You Have Cancer)
A little break from my Head and Neck cancer story for a little rant (story will continues from next post)
As those who have read my cancer story so far will know, I started getting ill in April 2018
At the time we were receiving Child Tax Credits and small amount of Working Tax Credits, not a great deal due to our income being too high, from April onwards I was still working but had to vastly reduce my hours.
We received more Tax Credits but because my previous years income was too high were not entitled to free prescriptions.
You may say, yes but your entitled to a free prescriptions via Medical Exemption, which I was, but Medical Exemption prescriptions don’t cover transport costs like Tax credit prescription exemptions do.
Also Tax Credit exemption prescriptions don’t take in to consideration your situation at the time but take in to consideration what your situation was in the previous year.
How stupid is that?
Here I was, hardly earning anything and having to pay to travel to Coventry 50+ times a year and having to pay parking fees (free when having radiotherapy), Because they look at what you were earning in the previous year rather than what you are earning when you actually need the help!
Ironically, I got the Tax Credit Prescription exemption from April 2019, when my journeys to Coventry were far less frequent.
This is nice, as I get to claim about £13 back every time I have to attend an appointment now, but had I had the exemption in the year I wasn’t working much and when having to travel to Coventry daily I would have been entitled to claim back approx. £700 in travelling and parking expenses.
My cancer story continues here – Getting Ill When Recovering from Cancer
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- April / May 2018 – You Have Cancer