HMRC ramps up tax credit renewal reminders

HMRC has issued a reminder that taxpayers must renew their tax credits by 31 July, or risk having their payments stop, as part of a concerted campaign to ensure individuals take action

The department has launched a new advertising campaign urging people to meet the timeframe, and highlighting the consequences of missing the end of month deadline.

HMRC says failure to renew before 31 July will mean payments are stopped, while in some cases people will have to repay the money they have received since April 2019.

Taxpayers will not get a renewal pack until April 2020 if they first claimed tax credits after 6 April 2019.

Renewal can be done online. Taxpayers can log into gov.uk to check on the progress of their renewal and get updates on when they will hear back from HMRC.

Individuals can also use the HMRC app on a smartphone to renew tax credits, check their tax credits payments schedule, and find out how much they have earned for the year.

Angela MacDonald, director general for customer services at HMRC, said: ‘We know that our customers lead busy lives, which is why our online services are available day and night. Customers can complete their tax credits renewals at a time convenient to them. Renewing on time is vital to ensure that their payments don’t stop.’

From this year HMRC is no longer taking new tax credit claims, as the universal credit regime is rolled out.

More information on renewing tax credits here: https://www.gov.uk/browse/benefits/tax-credits