Renewal date warning for Wyre Forest tax credit claimants (From Kidderminster Shuttle)

Renewal date warning for Wyre Forest tax credit claimants

10:10am Sunday 29th April 2012 in News

WYRE Forest’s 8,900 tax credit claimants are being reminded by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) that they must renew claims by the July 31 deadline - or their payments might stop.

They are urged to act as soon as they receive a renewal pack from HMRC. More than 3.3 million claimants renewed by the deadline last year - 80 per cent of those who were required to renew their claim.

The department is also asking claimants to double-check the accuracy of the information in the pack. HMRC might make follow-up queries with claimants’ employers, to check on the correctness of some of the information.

Claimants must also let HMRC know of any changes in their circumstances that they have not already reported during the year. They could be about their working hours, childcare costs or pay. If asked, they must also provide details of the previous year’s income.

Having the right documents to hand will help reduce errors when they are filling out the form or calling the tax credits helpline. They would be, for example, payslips, end-of-year P60 forms and childcare details.

HMRC’s director of benefits and credits, Steve Lamey, said: “People should aim to renew their tax credits as soon as they receive their pack and they need to make sure their details are correct. The sooner they renew, the sooner we can make sure they are getting the right money.

“Our message to Wyre Forest’s tax credit claimants is renew early, renew accurately and renew on time. If claimants don’t renew their claims before July 31, payments may stop.

“Twenty-thirteen will see the introduction of Universal Credit, which will, by 2017, see the migration of all our tax credit customers to that benefit. It is, therefore, even more important that customers ensure that the data we hold about their claim is accurate prior to their migration to universal credit.”

Claimants can get help and information on tax credit renewals from the DirectGov website or the tax credit helpline, on 0345 300 3900.