Renew your tax credits

If you are claiming tax credits, you will be sent a renewal pack that tells you how to renew your tax credits. If it has a red line across the first page and says ‘reply now’ you will need to renew your tax credits (external link)

If it has a black line and says ‘check now’, you will need to check your details are correct. If your details are correct you do not need to do anything and your tax credits will be automatically renewed. You must tell HMRC if your circumstances have changed (external link) or anything in your pack is incorrect.  

You must renew your tax credits by the date shown on your renewal pack. For most people, the date is 31 July. 

If you miss the deadline your tax credits payments will stop. You will be sent a statement and will have to pay back the tax credits you have received since 6 April. 

From 6 April, you will get estimated (‘provisional’) payments from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) until you renew. Your payments may have changed based on information from your employer or pension provider. 

If you miss the deadline for renewing 

You will be sent a statement (TC607). If you contact HMRC within 30 days of the date on the statement your tax credit claim may be restored and you will not have to pay anything back. 

If you contact HMRC later than the 30 days, they will ask you to explain the reasons for the delay - known as ‘good cause’ - before they consider restoring your claim. 

If you do not contact HMRC at all after receiving the statement, your tax credits payments will stop and you will have to pay back the tax credits you have received since 6 April. 

If HMRC stops your payments, you can only make a new claim for tax credits if you get the severe disability premium (external link) or got it in the past month and are still eligible for it. 

You may be able to apply for either of the following instead: 

How to renew

You can renew by phone or post (external link)

HMRC will tell you how much you will get within eight weeks of receiving your renewal. 

What you need 

You will need: