Key facts
•Tax credits are administered and paid by HM Revenue and Customs’ Tax Credit Office.
•Tax credits are dealt with differently from social security benefits. Tax credits are dealt with over a tax year, using annual income, and entitlement is finalised at the end of the tax year.
•Your tax credits may be affected by changes in your circumstances or income.
•Tax credit claims are finalised between April and July each year. This annual review also acts as a renewal claim for the new tax year.
Future changes
The government says that from November 2020 (or earlier, under a pilot for up to 10,000 claimants), the DWP will begin to transfer existing tax credits claimants to universal credit. See
here for further information, and AskCPAG.org.uk and
Welfare Rights Bulletin for updates.