HMRC reminds 440,000 tax credits customers to renew claims

More than 400,000 people are facing the risk of losing their tax credit benefits, HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) department warned.

The department said 440,000 tax credits customers need to renew their claims ahead of the July 31 deadline.

Customers will have either received an auto-renewal reminder or a reply-required notice for the same.

“All ‘reply required’ customers must renew their claims or contact HMRC to notify them of any change in circumstances ahead of the deadline to continue receiving tax credits payments,” it said in a statement.

These changes include living arrangements, childcare, working hours, increase or decrease in income.

People can log into the government website or use an HMRC app on their smartphone to renew their tax credits.

Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s director general for customer services said, “We know how important tax credits are to our customers, so we’ve made it quicker and easier to renew claims online. There’s no need to wait for the 31 July deadline – do it now by searching ‘tax credits’ on GOV.UK.”

HMRC also said that customers do not need to report any temporary falls in their working hours due to the pandemic. They will be treated as per their normal working hours for up to eight weeks after the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme closes.

Besides, self-employed individuals, who claimed a Self-Employment Income Support Scheme grant, will have to declare the grant payments.