Tax credits deadline latest — Brits warned they could lose HMRC benefit before midnight TONIGHT – how to renew claim
BRITS receiving benefits have been urged to reapply for tax credits or else their payments could be stopped.
Claimants have until midnight tonight to check information in their renewal pack is correct and respond to HMRC or risk losing up to £3,685 a year.
You should be sent a letter from HMRC which will have either a black line meaning 'check now', or a red line saying 'reply now'.
If your letter says 'check now', you don't need to do anything except check your details are correct.
If your letter says 'reply now', you must renew your benefit or risk losing your entitlement - you can renew your tax credit online on HMRC's website, by using the HMRC app, or you can renew them by phone or post.
Read our Tax Credits live blog below for the latest news and updates...
Circumstances you need to report
Circumstances you need to report include:
- if your living circumstances change, for example, you end a relationship with a partner
- a child or partner dies
- your income goes up or down by £2,500 or more
- a child stops going to childcare for four weeks or more
- childcare costs stop, go down by £10 or more per week, or you start getting help with childcare
- a child leaves home, for example if they move out or go into care
- a child is taken into custody
- a young person over 16 in your care leaves education or training
- your working hours fall below 30 hours a week – this is combined if you are in a couple
Major change to bank accounts coming within WEEKS – and it’s good news for savers
A Major rule change means banks and building societies have just weeks to tell customers their savings are earning next to no interest.
More than £250billion is currently sitting in savings accounts which earn no interest, Bank of England data shows.
Until now, providers haven't had to contact customers to tell them they could be earning a lot more just by moving their cash to a better savings rate.
But today the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has told providers to contact all their savings customers by September 30 or face paying a fine.
It means savers who haven't moved accounts recently could be in line to get a big hike in their interest rate.
What are tax credits?
There are two types of tax credits – working tax and child tax credit.
Working tax credit is given to people who are on low incomes or are registered as disabled.
Child tax credit is given to adults who have children under 16 who are dependent on them.
You do not need to have children to claim working tax credit. However, you must already claim working tax credit to get child tax credit.
The exact amount of working tax credit you get depends on your circumstances, but you are entitled to a basic amount worth up to £2,280 a year.
There are then additional elements that can increase your entitlement. For example, if you have a disability you could get up to £3,685 a year.
For child tax credit, the amount you get depends on when your children were born.
If your kids were born before April 6, 2017, you could get the “child element” of child tax credit for all of them.
You’ll also get the basic amount, known as the “family element”.
has already replaced tax credits for new claimants, but many households have not made the switch over yet.
Everyone should be transitioned over to by 2024, the government has said.
Little-known way to save £15 on your energy bills this summer – and it takes seconds
You could slash £15 off your energy bill this summer by using one simple trick that takes seconds.
All you need to do is draw your curtains when it's warm - it helps to block the hot sun and keep the room cool.
There are a few handy tricks you may not know about which could slash your bills this summer.
According to Nicholas Auckland, energy expert from , if you simply keep your curtains drawn when it's warm you could save up to £15 over the three summer months.
Free debt advice
If you’re in debt there are plenty of services you can take advantage of and they offer free advice on how to manage debt.
Most of them can offer you free guidance and help in person, over the telephone or online.
- – 0800 138 7777
- – 0808 800 9060
- – 0800 138 1111
- – 0808 808 4000
Exact date thousands on benefits have to report changes
Households have until 31 July to check the information in their renewal pack is correct and respond to HMRC.
If they don’t, they risk losing up to £3,685 a year.
Anyone on tax credits needs to inform the taxman of any changes to their circumstances which might affect their claim.
Over 500,000 people on tax credits will need to reply to HMRC by the deadline to confirm them for the 2023/24 tax year.
11 freebies and discounts worth up to £6,788 you can get on Universal Credit and benefits in August
Households on Universal Credit and other benefits can get freebies on top of their usual payments.
And with bills and costs remaining stubbornly high, it's important to take advantage of all the help that's available to you.
From food and supermarket vouchers, to bill discounts and cash for school uniforms, we've rounded up some of the extra support that is available to people on Universal Credit and benefits in August.
How to save money on energy bills
You can start by seeing if there’s any help available from your local council to help cover energy bills.
Local authorities across England have been given money via the Household Support Fund to distribute among residents in need.
The help you can get varies depending on where you live, but in some cases, you might be able to get energy vouchers.
Other councils are paying cash grants directly into bank accounts.
You should contact your local council to see what help is available.
If you don’t know what council area you fall under, you can use the Government’s council locator tool on its website.
Meanwhile, if you’re struggling to make payments, some energy firms offer grants worth up to £1,500.
Companies including British Gas, EDF and Scottish Power all offer help. You should contact your firm to see what might be on offer.
What to do if your letter says ‘reply now’
If your letter says ‘reply now’, you must renew your tax credits by July 31 or you risk losing your entitlement.
You can renew your tax credit online on HMRC’s website or by using the HMRC app. Alternatively, you can renew them by phone or post.
You’ll need your renewal pack, details about any changes to your circumstances, and you and your partner’s total income for the last tax year.
What is Universal Credit?
Universal Credit is a welfare scheme which was designed to combine a number of old “legacy benefits” into a single monthly payment.
The old legacy benefits it replaced are:
- Child Tax Credit
- Housing Benefit
- Income Support
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- Working Tax Credit
Who can claim attendance allowance?
You can get attendance allowance if you’ve reached state pension age (currently 66) and the following applies to you.
- You have a physical or mental disability, or both
- Your disability is severe enough for you to need help caring for yourself
- You have needed that help for at least six months (unless you’re terminally ill)
To get the benefit, you must have been in Britain for at least two of the last three years, unless you’re a refugee or have humanitarian protection status.
What you need to know about Child Tax Credits
The amount you are entitled to depends on when your children were born.
If your kids were born before 6 April 2017, you could get the "child element" of Child Tax Credit for all of them.
You’ll also get the basic amount, known as the "family element".
If any of your children were born on or after 6 April 2017, you could get the child element for up to two of them.
You might get the child element for more children if exceptions apply.
You’ll only get the family element if at least one of your children was born before 6 April 2017. Here's how much each element is worth:
- Family element: up to £545
- Child element: up to £3,235 per child
- For each disabled child: up to £3,905 (on top of the child element)
- For each severely disabled child: up to £1,575 (on top of the child element and the disabled child element).
For both Working Tax Credit and Child Tax Credits you can to find out how much you could get.
How much can you earn and still get tax credits?
For Working Tax Credit there is no set limit for income because it depends on your circumstances (and those of your partner).
For example, the government says that it could be £18,000 for a couple without children or £13,100 for a single person without children.
It can be higher if you have children or if you are disabled.
This is also true for Child Tax Credit – but broadly speaking if you have one child and your total household income goes over £25,000 then you’ll get no top up to your income.
If you have two children born before April 6, 2007 the maximum you can earn and get credits is about £35,000.
Essentially, the more you earn the less you’ll get.
How to apply
To apply for Tax Credits you need to call HMRC's Tax Credits helpline:
- Monday to Friday between 8am and 8pm
- Saturday between 8am and 4pm
- Sunday between 9am and 5pm
The number is 0345 300 3900 and calls cost 45p a minute from mobiles or 12p a minute from landlines, unless you have free minutes as part of your contract.
You can also .
If you are not eligible for Tax Credits - you might be entitled to Universal Credit.
To find out how to apply follow our step by step guide.
If you are already getting Tax Credits you can .
Need money advice?
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting?
Get in touch by emailing [email protected].
You can also join our new Sun Money Facebook group to share stories and tips and engage with the consumer team and other group members.
How do I renew my tax credits?
You should be sent a letter from HMRC which will have either a black line and say ‘check now’, or a red line and say ‘reply now’.
If your letter says ‘check now’, you don’t need to do anything except check your details are correct. If everything is in order, your tax credits will be automatically renewed.
If your letter says ‘reply now’, you must renew your tax credits by July 31 or you risk losing your entitlement.
You can renew your tax credit online on HMRC’s website or by using the HMRC app. Alternatively, you can renew them by phone or post.
You’ll need your renewal pack, details about any changes to your circumstances, and you and your partner’s total income for the last tax year.
You also need to notify HMRC if you will be abroad for eight weeks or more or if you permanently leave the UK.
More key money dates coming this year
As well as the Tax credit renewals deadline, there are a number of other key money dates to remember.
These include:
- Deadline for self-assessment tax returns – July 31
- £300 cost of living payment – autumn
- Student maintenance loans – September or October
- Lower energy bills – October 1
- Tax return deadline – October 1
- Up to £300 cost of living payment – November
- Warm Home Discount – November
Free debt advice
If you’re in debt there are plenty of services you can take advantage of and they offer free advice on how to manage debt.
Most of them can offer you free guidance and help in person, over the telephone or online.
- – 0800 138 7777
- – 0808 800 9060
- – 0800 138 1111
- – 0808 808 4000
What are tax credits?
There are two types of tax credits – working tax and child tax credit.
Working tax credit is given to people who are on low incomes or are registered as disabled.
Child tax credit is given to adults who have children under 16 who are dependent on them.
You do not need to have children to claim working tax credit. However, you must already claim working tax credit to get child tax credit.
The exact amount of working tax credit you get depends on your circumstances, but you are entitled to a basic amount worth up to £2,280 a year.
There are then additional elements that can increase your entitlement. For example, if you have a disability you could get up to £3,685 a year.
For child tax credit, the amount you get depends on when your children were born.
If your kids were born before April 6, 2017, you could get the “child element” of child tax credit for all of them.
What to do if your letter says 'reply now'
If your letter says 'reply now', you must renew your tax credits by July 31 or you risk losing your entitlement.
You can renew your tax credit online on HMRC's website or by using the HMRC app. Alternatively, you can renew them by phone or post.
You'll need your renewal pack, details about any changes to your circumstances, and you and your partner's total income for the last tax year.
Child Tax Credits
You can claim Child Tax Credits up to August 31 after your child's 16th birthday.
You keep getting the benefit until their 20th birthday, if they are in approved education or training, you can only claim Child Tax Credit for children you’re actually responsible for.
If you are able to make a new claim for Child Tax Credit, what you get depends on when your child or children were born.
Before April 6, 2017 and you get the child element of Child Tax Credits, which applies for all your children, and a basic amount called the "family element".
After April 6, 2017 and the child element is only for up to two children, and the family element is only if you have at least one child born before this date.
If you're already claiming, it depends when your claim started.
Before April 6, 2017 and you'll get the family element.
The child element will be for kids born before this date, and only for up to the second child if born after this date.
After April 6, 2017, you get the child element up to two children, and the family element only if at least one of your children was born after this date.
There are some exceptions, such as having twins.
Working Tax Credits
You must work a certain number of hours a week to qualify. These limits are:
- Aged 25 to 59 - at least 30 hours
- Aged 60 or over - at least 16 hours
- Disabled - at least 16 hours
- Single with one or more children - at least 16 hours
- Couple with one or more children - usually, at least 24 hours between you (with one of you working at least 16 hours). There are some exceptions that are detailed on the
You can use the to check if you work the right number of hours.
Your work can be for someone else as a worker or employee, or for yourself if you are self-employed.
However, the rules are more strict for the self-employed and your work has to be considered commercial, regular and organised.
How much can you earn and still get tax credits?
For Working Tax Credit there is no set limit for income because it depends on your circumstances (and those of your partner).
For example, the government says that it could be £18,000 for a couple without children or £13,100 for a single person without children.
It can be higher if you have children or if you are disabled.
This is also true for Child Tax Credit - but broadly speaking if you have one child and your total household income goes over £25,000 then you’ll get no top up to your income.
If you have two children born before April 6, 2007 the maximum you can earn and get credits is about £35,000.
Essentially, the more you earn the less you'll get.
HMRC issue reminder
HMRC has today issued a reminder to renew your tax credits.
Taking to social media, the HMRC wrote: ''Today is the last day to renew your tax credits.
''The quickest and easiest way to renew your tax credits is via the free HMRC app or online - and no need to call us.
''Renew online.''
Exact date thousands on benefits have to report changes
Households have until 31 July to check the information in their renewal pack is correct and respond to HMRC.
If they don’t, they risk losing up to £3,685 a year.
Anyone on tax credits needs to inform the taxman of any changes to their circumstances which might affect their claim.
Over 500,000 people on tax credits will need to reply to HMRC by the deadline to confirm them for the 2023/24 tax year.