FAMILIES with twins say they are missing out on a vital tax benefit because of discrimination by the Inland Revenue.

Rachel Hodgetts, of the Worcester Twins Club, is taking part in a campaign to get the new child tax credit to recognise the additional costs of twins or multiple births.

At the moment, parents with a child under one-year-old can apply for a "baby bonus" of £545 to help cover the cost of buying a cot, pram and other equipment in addition to applying for child tax credit.

But Mrs Hodgetts, who has three-year-old twin boys, says this is unfair because parents of twins can only claim this payment for one baby and the other child is assessed under child tax credit guidelines.

"The Inland Revenue rules say a family can only have one child at a time under a year old and a second twin or second and third triplets will be shown as older children on the Inland Revenue's paperwork," said Mrs Hodgetts, who lives in Lower Broadheath, Worcester.

"This policy is extremely unfair as the cost of having two or more children in the same pregnancy is proportionately more than two or more born separately over a number of years

"If the Government has recognised the additional costs that a baby brings to the family the year it is born, they should recognise that two babies at once bring twice the additional cost."

Suzanne Allies, who has five-month-old twins Poppy and Georgia, is also angry that parents of multiple birth children are "missing out".

"You can't help it when you have twins and it is money that is needed," said Mrs Allies, who also has a two-year-old daughter called Charlie.

"It's very unfair because after having one child, you think can you afford another child and then you end up with twins which can be a bit of a blow financially."

And Lisa Minton, who has seven-month-old twins, Rhys and Caitlin, and a five-year-old daughter, Bethanie ,is still waiting to find out whether she will be receiving her "baby bonus".

"When you have one baby your budget is stretched to the limit so when you have twins you have to double all costs," said Mrs Minton, of Wordsworth Avenue, Perdiswell.

Patrick O'Brien, spokesman for the Inland Revenue, said: "The family element of child tax credit means one per family.

"We don't pay more family element for extra children, whether or not born at the same time. The baby element is paid, in addition to the family element, to each family that includes one eligible child who is under the age of one."

Families take out overdrafts

STRUGGLING parents awaiting tax credit payments are being forced to arrange bank overdrafts to make ends meet.

The Evening News has been inundated with telephone calls from anxious parents since we highlighted the debacle of the Inland Revenue's new tax credit system on Monday.

Mother-of-four Judith Over, of St John's, Worcester, applied for working tax credit via the internet and is waiting to receive £500 to cover her £460 rent.

Previously, she was receiving money as part of the working family tax credit and says she never had a problem.

Payments have stopped

But since the new credits were introduced in April, her payments have stopped and she says she has been forced to arrange a £500 overdraft to cover her £460 rent.

"I've got a family of four and it's not nice to be in this position," said Ms Over.

"I rang the helpline to find out what was going on and spoke to someone who put me on hold for 37 minutes before coming back and telling me they wouldn't be able to update me for two weeks.

"I had to pay £15 to my bank to set up the overdraft and will have to pay £8 for every month I have it. I'm very concerned because I don't know where this is going to end."

Louise Draper, aged 27, of St John's, Worcester, says she has also been forced to arrange an overdraft to cover the cost of childcare for her three-year-old daughter Isabella.

"I work full-time and have to pay £550 per month in childcare," said Miss Draper, who used to receive £530 under the old system.

Can't afford childcare

"I haven't had a payment for 10 weeks and these tax credits make all the difference - without them I won't be able to work because I can't afford childcare.

"I applied for child tax credit in December and I'm annoyed with the government for not sorting this out properly."

Patrick O'Brien, spokesman for the Inland Revenue, said: "We would suggest they go to their local tax inquiry centre and we will update them on their claim and, if necessary, arrange an interim payment to tide them over until their money comes through."

The child tax credit and working tax credit were set up by the government to help families on low incomes keep working.

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