If you get tax credits, you can expect to receive an annual renewal pack any day now, and before 28 June. They’re not all sent out at once, so different people will get them at different times. If you haven’t received your renewal pack by 28 June, then contact the Tax Credits helpline on 0345 300 3900 (Textphone 0345 300 3909).

It’s important to respond to your renewal pack before the 31 July deadline. If you’ve received an Annual Declaration and you fail to reply by the deadline, your tax credits payments will stop and you will have to pay money back. HMRC call centres become especially busy the week before the deadline, so don’t delay or you may have difficulty getting through.

Your pack may include:

  • an Annual Declaration form (TC603D or TC603D2) plus an Annual Review notice (TC603R) -both sent out in one A4 size white envelope, or
  • just  an Annual Review notice (TC603R) – sent out in an A5 size brown envelope.

If you receive both an Annual Declaration form and an Annual Review notice, you must reply by the deadline. It’s important to reply even if you don’t want to renew your claim. This is because the renewal process is also a check that you have received the right amount of tax credits for the previous year.

If you only receive an Annual Review notice, your claim will be renewed automatically and you don’t need to reply. However you still need to tell the Tax Credit Office straightaway if:

  • you have had any changes in circumstances
  • your income is different to what’s shown in the Annual Review notice
  • there are mistakes or details missing from the notice.

You can renew in one of the following ways:

  • completing the Annual Declaration form and returning it to the Tax Credit Office in      the reply envelope provided
  • calling the Tax Credit Helpline on 0345 300 3900 (Textphone 0345 300 3909)
  • online at www.gov.uk/renewtaxcredits –      but only if you have no changes to report.

If you’re renewing by post and have lost your reply envelope, the address to return your form to is:

HM Revenue & Customs Tax Credits
Comben House
Farriers Way
Netherton
L75 1WB.

You can find more information about tax credit renewals on the HMRC website at www.hmrc.gov.uk

For help from Salford Citizens Advice visit your local bureau in Eccles, Irlam and Cadishead, SalfordCity, Swinton, Walkden or at Salford Royal.

Telephone our advice line: 0844 826 9695 (if calling from a landline or if calling from a mobile 0300 456 2554).

Tom Togher