Alert over tax credits renewal

Revenue bosses are warning almost 12,000 workers in Paisley to renew their tax credits – or risk having them stopped.

HM Revenue and Customs said there is only a week to go until the July 31 deadline for 5,700 claimants in Paisley and Renfrewshire North constituency and 5,900 people in neighbouring Paisley and Renfrewshire South.

Last year 410,000 customers across the UK had their payments stopped or altered because they missed the deadline to inform HMRC of changes to their circumstances.

These include changes to working hours, income, and childcare costs.

Bosses are urging people to use the online renewals system, allowing customers to track the process of their renewal, receive email confirmation once submitted, and removing the need to scan or type in the barcode number from the back of the renewals pack.

Rachel McLean, HMRC’s interim director general of customer services, said:“We’ve made some really helpful improvements this year to our online and app services to support our customers. We know life can be hectic so the start and stop feature allows customers to begin and complete their renewal on a day and time convenient for them.

“It’s fantastic that 32,000 people have used our app and 733,000 customers have already renewed their tax credits online. I urge customers in Scotland who have yet to renew their tax credits to do so as soon as possible, thereby avoiding their payments being stopped.”

Online help and information on renewing tax credits is available on GOV.UK