Families and individuals that receive tax credits should ensure that they renew their tax credit claims by 31 July 2018. Claimants who do not renew on-time may have their payments stopped.
HMRC has begun sending tax credits renewal packs to tax credit claimants and is encouraging recipients to renew their tax credits claim online. All packs should be with recipients by 26 June 2018. If you haven’t received one by then you should contact the HMRC tax credits helpline. No renewal pack will be sent to taxpayers until April 2019 if they first claimed tax credits after 6 April 2018.
A renewal is required if the first page of the pack has a red line across it and says, ‘reply now’. Claimants need to notify HMRC where there have been changes to the family size, child care costs, number of hours worked and salary. Details of previous year’s income also need to be completed on the form to allow HMRC to check if the correct tax credits have been paid. Claimants must also inform HMRC of any changes in circumstances not already reported during the year such as new working hours, different childcare costs or changes in pay.
In some areas of the country new claims for tax credits may no longer be possible as the introduction of universal credit is slowly rolled out. Universal credit will eventually replace tax credits, and other social security benefits. Existing tax credit claimants are expected to be moved across to universal credit between 2019 and 2022.
