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There could be a number of reasons why your tax credit payments go down or stop. It may be for the simple reason that your circumstances have changed and the Tax Credit Office has changed the amount they're paying you.
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The most common reasons why your payments may have gone down or stopped are:
The reasons are explained in more detail below.
If your child is now over the age of 16, your Child Tax Credit payments for them may have stopped. This could be because the Tax Credit Office didn't know your child was staying on in full-time education (or on an approved training course). It's very important to tell the Tax Credit Office about your child's plans. If you don't do anything, your payments for that child will automatically stop on 31 August after their sixteenth birthday.
Your child reaches 16 - can you still get Child Tax Credit?
You'll get an award notice if your tax credits payments change. This may say that your payments are going down because the Tax Credit Office has paid you too much. This could happen if you haven't told them about a change in circumstance, or your income has gone up. If your payments have stopped because you no longer qualify for tax credits, the Tax Credit Office will ask you to make a direct payment to pay back any outstanding overpayment.
You've been overpaid tax credits - how did this happen?
If you've changed your bank, building society or Post Office® card account details recently and haven't told the Tax Credit Office, then your payment will have been sent to your old account. You'll need to tell the Tax Credit Office your new account details as soon as possible. This will make sure that future payments are paid to your correct account.
Find out which changes in circumstance you need to report by when
If the Tax Credit Office can't contact you at the address they hold, they may stop your tax credits payments. So if you move you need to let them know your new address in good time.
Find out which changes in circumstance you need to report by when
If you've been getting your tax credits paid by cash cheque, your payments may stop if you haven't given the Tax Credit Office your bank, building society, or Post Office® card account details. This could happen four weeks after the date the Tax Credit Office asked you for this information.
If you don't already have an account, you must open one and provide the details to the Tax Credit Office.
More about bank accounts and how tax credits are paid
The Tax Credit Office will ask you to renew your tax credits after the end of each tax year. They can then make sure you have been paid the right amount of tax credits for the previous tax year. They will also check they are paying you the right amount for the current tax year.
The Tax Credit Office send you a renewal pack, which you must usually complete by 31 July. If you don't renew your tax credits, your payments will stop. You may have to pay back any payments you have received since 6 April as well as any overpayments.
Why your tax credits claim has to be renewed
What happens if you don't renew your tax credits
Your payments may have stopped from 6 April 2012 because of changes to tax credits income limits announced in the June 2010 Budget.
For the last tax year (6 April 2011 to 5 April 2012), you could usually get some tax credits, as long as your annual income was not over the limit of £41,300. But from 6 April 2012 this limit dropped for most people.
The income limit for you now depends on your own circumstances. But as a very rough guide, the limits from 6 April 2012 are around:
It's important to know that the income limit for you may be different. But if your income is over these amounts your payments could be affected.
If your income or other circumstances have changed, but you haven't told the Tax Credit Office, it could make a difference. Report any changes as soon as possible, especially if:
How to work out your total income
Find out which changes in circumstance you need to report by when
If you're a couple with children, the hours you need to work to get Working Tax Credit have changed from 6 April 2012.
Before this date, if you were working at least 16 hours a week, you could get Working Tax Credit. But from 6 April 2012, most couples with children will need to work at least 24 hours a week jointly. This means:
if you both work your joint weekly hours must be at least 24, with one of you working at least 16 hours a week
if only one of you works, that person must be working at least 24 hours a week
If you're not working these hours your Working Tax Credit will probably have stopped from 6 April 2012. But there are some exceptions - follow the link below to find out more.
What counts as work for Working Tax Credit?
The extra payment for people aged 50 or over, called the '50-plus element', stopped from 6 April 2012. This is because of changes announced in the June 2010 budget.
If you were getting the 50-plus element your payments could have gone down from 6 April 2012.
This also means your Working Tax Credit could have stopped altogether, unless you're working a certain number of hours. For example, if you're between 50 and 59 and not responsible for children you'll normally need to work at least 30 hours a week. Follow the link below to find out how many hours you need to work to get Working Tax Credit.
What counts as work for Working Tax Credit?
If your income is expected to be more than £10,000 higher than last year, you may get less tax credits.
If your income is expected to be less than £10,000 higher than last year, it will make no difference to the amount of tax credits you'll receive for the current year. However it's still a good idea to let the Tax Credit Office know about the change. The increased income will be taken into account:
If you don't tell them about a change in income:
Changes in income and tax credits
You can report any changes to the Tax Credit Helpline.
Contact details for the Tax Credit Helpline
Check if you qualify for tax credits - quick questionnaire
How your tax credits entitlement is worked out
How to avoid being paid too much or not enough tax credits
