TCM0064260 - Claims: capture (D-K): intelligent manual capture - information capture (AG)

To deal with the manual capture of a claim, consider steps 1 to 30.

Note: You may receive claim forms which have been scanned. Follow this guidance to capture these claims.

Note: Whilst following this guidance you must note down on the Intelligent manual capture checklist (Excel 28KB) details of any missing information and questions you need to ask the customer.

Step 1

Note: Before you attempt to capture the claim you must follow the guidance in TCM0134480 and then return to this step to capture the claim, if appropriate.

Does the customer (or their partner, if there is one) have a NINO?

  • yes, they do have a NINO, go to Step 2.
  • no, they do not have a NINO
    • after the claim has been captured, contact the customer for this information
      Note: If the claim form is stamped STU, do not contact the customer for information regarding their NINO.
      Note: If, after contacting the customer, they still cannot provide a NINO leave this blank on the computer. If they have explained the reason why they do not have a NINO, make a note of this in the Application Notes field.
  • go to Step 2.

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Step 2

Check the claim form for any appointee details. This will be shown on page 11 of the claim form.

  • If the claim form does not contain any appointee details, go to Step 3.
  • If the claim form contains details of an appointee and the details are the same as the customer’s details
    • do not capture the details of the appointee
    • go to Step 3.
  • If the claim form contains details of an appointee and the details are different to the customer’s details, use Function CAPTURE APPLICATION to continue to capture the remainder of the claim form and note down any missing information
    • do not contact the customer for any of the missing information
    • email the details (This content has been withheld because of exemptions in the Freedom of Information Act 2000)
      • (This content has been withheld because of exemptions in the Freedom of Information Act 2000)
      • (This content has been withheld because of exemptions in the Freedom of Information Act 2000)
      • (This content has been withheld because of exemptions in the Freedom of Information Act 2000)
    • select [OK]
    • select [Store]
    • use Function MAINTAIN WORKLIST
    • go to the Incomplete Applications work list to find the claim
    • transfer the claim to the ‘Incomplete BF’ MU. Use TCM0322460 for the correct MU number
    • change the action date to one week from today’s date and select the Retained checkbox
    • when the claim has been captured, record your action in the Application Notes field
    • send the claim form to storage. Follow the guidance in TCM0074140
      then
    • go to Step 3.

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Step 3

Before capturing the claim, check if the customer is in a current tax credits award to anticipate a Rule 3 verification failure. Check the partner’s NINO (if one is present) as there may be a previous claim for this person

  • use Function VIEW APPLICATION and select the ‘All’ checkbox on the Key Entry Data screen to check if there has been a previous claim
    • If there are no previous claims for the customer, there is no potential Rule 3 verification failure, go to Step 7.
    • If there is a previous claim and the status is ‘Awaiting Award’ or ‘Partially Captured’, use Function VIEW AWARD and go to the Applicant Information screen to check the Notes field to check if there are any pre-award Compliance checks. Follow the guidance in TCM0134420
      • If there is Compliance activity, contact Compliance for advice on how to process the claim.
      • If there is no Compliance activity, contact the customer to establish why they have submitted a new claim. Follow the guidance in TCM0094080
        then
      • go to Step 5.
    • If there is a previous claim and the status is ‘Terminated’ or ‘Ceased’, use Function VIEW HOUSEHOLD NOTES to check for any pre-award Compliance checks. Follow the guidance in TCM0134420
      • If there is Compliance activity, contact Compliance for advice on how to process the claim.
      • If there is no Compliance activity, go to Step 4.
    • If there is a previous claim and the status is ‘Award Issued’ or ‘Finalised Award’, use Function VIEW HOUSEHOLD NOTES to check for any pre-award Compliance checks. Follow the guidance in TCM0134420
      • If there is Compliance activity, contact Compliance for advice on how to process the claim.
      • If there is no Compliance activity, contact the customer to establish why they have submitted a new claim. Follow the guidance in TCM0094080
        then
      • go to Step 5.

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Step 4

Use Function VIEW APPLICATION, selecting the latest previous claim.

  • If the message ‘Household Breakdown DD-MM-YY’ displays
    • make a note of the household breakdown date on the Intelligent manual capture checklist
      Note: A claim cannot be backdated by more than 31 days. If the Household End Date is more than 31 days before the Received Date of the failed claim, you do not need to amend the effective date as the existing and failed claims will not overlap. If the Household End Date is not more than 31 days before the Received Date, amend the effective date to the day after the Household End Date.
    • go to Step 6.
  • If the message ‘Household Breakdown DD-MM-YY’ doesn’t display, use Function VIEW HOUSEHOLD NOTES to check for any notes starting with IA, II, IM or IS or any notes that relate to immigration easement
    • If there are any notes starting with IA, II, IM or IS or there are any notes that relate to immigration easement, check the explanations that relate to these notes and, if necessary, contact the relevant team for advice on what to do with these cases.
    • If there are not any notes starting with IA, II, IM or IS or any notes that relate to immigration easement
      • check the Household Notes on the previous claim for any information on why a new claim form has been submitted
        then
      • go to Step 5.

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Step 5

If the customer

  • confirms they have submitted a new claim in error and they wish to report a change of circumstances, confirm the details with the customer
    • tell the customer you will treat the claim form as a change of circumstances letter
    • do not continue to capture the claim
    • cancel out of the claim
    • complete form TC648 with the following message in red ink
      ‘Treat attached claim form as a change of circumstances - do not capture as new claim’
    • where the details of the change of circumstances have been identified when contacting the customer, note the details on form TC648
    • attach the claim form to form TC648 and arrange for them to be sent to the Physical Change of Circumstances Team
    • use Function MAINTAIN HOUSEHOLD NOTES for the latest claim and select the ‘General’ category to record the following
      ‘TCMZ New claim received on IMC. Customer has confirmed that only submitted as a change of circs. Claim form and TC648 sent to Physical COCs on (DD/MM/YY)’
      Note: You must follow the guidance in TCM0152060 when you record the note and also follow the guidance in TCM0152160.
    • take no further action.
  • confirms they have submitted a new claim in error instead of returning their Annual Declaration
    • do not continue to capture the claim
    • complete form TC648 and send this with the claim form to the appropriate Renewals team
    • use Function MAINTAIN HOUSEHOLD NOTES for the latest claim and select the ‘General’ category to record the following
      ‘TCMZ New claim received on IMC. Customer has confirmed that only submitted as annual declaration. Claim form and TC648 sent to Renewals team on (DD/MM/YY)’
      Note: You must follow the guidance in TCM0152060 when you record the note and also follow the guidance in TCM0152160.
    • take no further action.
  • has not submitted a new claim in error, go to Step 6.

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Step 6

Use Function CAPTURE APPLICATION, selecting the Capture New option. You will be taken to the Log screen

  • enter the date of the earliest date stamp in the Date Application Received field
    Note: If there is no date stamp shown, use either the date stamp shown on the other claims you have to capture or check when the customer signed the form and use the date three days after the signature date. If you are not sure, ask your manager for advice.
  • select ‘Paper’ in the Application Source drop down menu
  • select the year which corresponds to the claim form date in the Tax Credit Year drop down menu
  • enter the barcode from the tax credits claim form in the Barcode field
    Note: Take care to enter this number exactly as it is shown on the claim form.
  • enter the personal details for customer 1 and, if appropriate, customer 2
  • then
  • go to Step 7.

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Step 7

In Function CAPTURE APPLICATION, once you have captured the customers personal details on the Log screen

  • select [Continue]. You will be taken to the Applicant screen
  • the tax credits computer will now attempt to trace the customers to a record on the HMRC databases. Follow the guidance in TCM1000115 and use the Access to DWP Data (ADD) system to compare the customer’s details
    Note: For help on how to use ADD, follow the guidance in the Access to DWP Data System manual.
    • If the message (This content has been withheld because of exemptions in the Freedom of Information Act 2000) displays
      Note: It is not necessary for you to (This content has been withheld because of exemptions in the Freedom of Information Act 2000) when dealing with a claim form or paper correspondence, instead follow the guidance below.
      • do not capture the claim
      • cancel out of the claim
        then
      • in ‘Excel’, select ‘SEES’ on the toolbar
      • select ‘Forms and Letters’
      • in the ‘Find Form’ box enter
        ‘TC669’
      • from the results select ‘TC669INTERNAL Tax Credits unauthorised access report’
      • select ‘Print’. The form will open in ‘Word’
      • print the form
        then
      • complete form TC669 with the following information - customer’s name - customer’s NINO - customer’s date of birth - contact phone number for the customer, if known - your name - your staff number - your Management Unit - times and dates of access - reason for access - number of attempts accessing the record - functions you attempted to access
      • place form TC669 with the claim form and pass these to your manager
        Note: Form TC669 is normally sent double-polyloped with a tracking reference as the claim is too big for a secure mailbox. Mark as confidential and refer these cases to SMU(This content has been withheld because of exemptions in the Freedom of Information Act 2000) .
        Note: If the Application Notes field is available on the Summary Information screen, make a note that the case has been referred to SMU.
        Note: You must follow the guidance in TCM0152060 when you record the note and also follow the guidance in TCM0152040.
      • take no further action.
  • If you are able to trace and match the individual, go to Step 8.
  • If there is a potential match and you consider the match acceptable
    • select [OK], if available. The customer will be marked as a potential match and an entry will be created on the ‘Potential Match’ work list, once you have captured the claim
    • select [OK]
    • pass the screen prints of the ADD information and any information provided by the customer to your manager for checking
    • your manager must follow the guidance in TCM0076160
    • your manager will accept the potential match and return the case to you
    • when the case is returned to you, continue to capture the claim
    • go to Step 8.
  • If you do not have enough information to match the customer without contacting them
    • select [No] if available to disregard the potential match
    • continue to capture the claim
      Note: Once the claim is captured you will need to contact the customer to resolve any trace and match discrepancies as well as asking them for any other information that is outstanding.
    • go to Step 8.

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Step 8

On the Applicant screen, if the customer has

  • answered ‘Yes’ to question 1.8 (subject to immigration control) on the claim form
    • select the ‘No’ checkbox in the UK National field
    • go to Step 9.
  • answered ‘No’ to question 1.8 (subject to immigration control) on the claim form
    • select the ‘Yes’ checkbox in the UK National field
    • go to Step 9.
  • not answered question 1.8 (subject to immigration control) on the claim form
    • contact the customer for this information after the claim has been captured
      Note: When speaking to the customer, if they are unsure if they are subject to immigration control refer them to the accompanying Application Notes, sent with the claim form which provides further information.
      Note: If the customer is still unsure of their immigration status leave the UK National field blank.
    • go to Step 9.

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Step 9

If the customer has

  • answered ‘Yes’ to question 1.9 (usually live in the UK) on the claim form
    Note: If the customer has given their address as being in the Isle of Man or Channel Islands, these are not part of the UK and you will need to select the Normally Live Other field.
    • select the Normally Live UK checkbox
    • go to Step 10.
  • answered ‘No’ to question 1.9 (usually live in the UK) on the claim form
    • select the Normally Live Other checkbox
    • Has the customer told us the name of the country where they usually live?
      Note: If after contacting the customer, they cannot provide the name of the country where they usually live or they are unsure, leave the Country field blank and continue to capture the claim.
      • no, the customer told us where they usually live, go to Step 10.
      • yes, the customer has told us where they usually live. Enter the name of the country in the Country field and then go to Step 10.
  • not answered question 1.9 (usually live in the UK) on the claim form, contact the customer for this information after the claim has been captured. Go to Step 10.

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Step 10

On the Applicant screen, if the customer

  • has answered question 1.11 or question 1.12 on the claim form
    • follow the guidance in TCM0064200
    • return to this step and continue to capture the remainder of the claim
    • go to Step 11.
  • states on the claim form that they are waiting for a decision on their claim for Disability Living Allowance (DLA), Personal Independence Payment (PIP) or Armed Forces Independence Payment (AFIP) for themselves or their children
    • send form TC919 to the customer. This tells them to inform us of the DLA, PIP or AFIP decision as soon as they hear from the Department for Work and Pensions
    • when the claim has been captured, record your action in the Application Notes field
    • go to Step 11.
  • has not answered question 1.11 or question 1.12 on the claim form, go to Step 11.
    Note: From 08/04/13 Personal Independence Payment (PIP) will be introduced as a replacement for DLA for customers of working age (16-64 years of age). PIP will be made of two elements consisting of daily living and mobility and two levels of rates which are standard or enhanced. Customers under 16 and over 65 years old will remain on DLA.
    Note: For tax credits purposes, the Highest Rate Care Component of DLA is the same as the Enhanced rate of daily living component of PIP, and will allow the customer to qualify for the Severe Disability element, so long as the other qualifying conditions are met. There is also an Enhanced mobility component of PIP, but this does not allow the customer to qualify for the extra element.
    Note: For tax credits purposes, the current low and middle rates of DLA (whether care or mobility) will be either standard daily living or standard mobility component of PIP, and will allow the customer to qualify for the Disability element so long as the other qualifying conditions are met.
    Note: From 08/04/13 Armed Forces Independence Payment (AFIP) will be introduced to replace Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for members and ex-members of HM Forces (Army, Navy, Air Force etc). A customer entitled to AFIP will receive the benefit for life, at the equivalent Enhanced rate of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) or higher rate of DLA, and will entitle a tax credit customer to the severe disability element of Working Tax Credit. The Service Personnel and Veterans Agency (SPVA), a division of the Ministry of Defence, will administer AFIP. The Department for Work and Pensions are responsible for making AFIP payments and maintaining the awards.

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Step 11

If there are no children on the claim form, go to Step 17.

If there are children on the claim form

  • go to the Children screen
  • enter the details of all the children provided on the claim form at part 2 and the form TC600A, if appropriate

Note: If child details are provided on both the claim form and form TC600A, ensure the details do not relate to the same child. If both the name and date of birth of a child are similar or identical, check that they do not relate to the same child before you enter the details. This is to avoid awarding tax credits twice for the same child.

Note: When entering more than one child the surname defaults to the surname provided on the claim form for the first child. You must check subsequent child surnames on the claim form and amend the details if necessary.

  • select [Add] to enter the details of the first child
  • select [Next] to enter the details of any additional children
  • select [Finish] once all the children have been entered
  • where the customer has answered any of the questions in 2.4 (disability) on the claim form, follow the guidance in TCM0064200 from step 8 and then return to this step and continue to capture the claim

Note: Question 2.5 on the claim form is only completed if the customer became responsible for the child after the child’s date of birth, otherwise it is left blank. The computer will automatically default this date to the child’s date of birth.

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Step 12

Access Child Benefit Service to compare the child details held on the tax credits computer with those on the Child Benefit computer.For how to do this

  • access Child Benefit Service desktop icon
  • enter the customer’s NINO in the upper navigation bar and select ‘search’
  • check the customer’s name and address in the top left hand corner of the screen to ensure you select the correct customer details
  • check children summary for details of the child
  • go to Step 13.

then

If there are childcare charges, go to Step 15.

If there are no childcare charges, go to Step 16.

If the customer states they are not claiming Child Benefit and nobody else is claiming for the child, for example an ex-partner

  • tell the customer to apply by ringing the Child Benefit Helpline on 0300 200 3100
  • continue to capture the claim
    then
    • If there are childcare charges, go to Step 15.
    • If there are no childcare charges, go to Step 16.

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Step 13

Access Child Benefit Service to check whether ECRegs apply

  • access Child Benefit Service desktop icon
  • enter the customer’s NINO in the upper navigation bar and select ‘search’
  • check the customer’s name and address in the top left hand corner of the screen to ensure you select the correct customer details
  • select the adjustments button on the left hand side navigation bar
  • check whether the EC Regs button is selected

If the EC Regs apply button is selected

  • complete a form TC648 and pass it to your manager to be forwarded to the International Claims Team MU. Use TCM0322460 for the correct MU number
  • put the following message on the form TC648‘EC Regs Apply’

Note: All enquiries should be made to ensure that the case is not referred to the International Claims Team at an incomplete stage. If the information can’t be obtained by phone and a letter is required, ensure that a note is placed in Application Notes to inform the people dealing with the incompletes that they need to refer the case to the International Claims Team following their enquiries.

  • select [OK]
  • select [Store]
  • use Function MAINTAIN WORKLIST to
    • go to the Incomplete Applications work list to find the claim
    • when you have found the claim, transfer the claim to the International Claims Team MU. Use TCM0322460 for the correct MU number
  • when the claim has been captured, record your action in the Application Notes field
  • continue to capture the claim
    then
    • If there are childcare charges, go to Step 15.
    • If there are no childcare charges, go to Step 16.
    • If the EC Regs button is not selecetd go to Step 14 to verify the child’s details.

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Step 14

If

  • the child’s name details are similar, consider if it could be a transposition error.
    For example: the tax credits computer shows ‘Tohn Smith’ and Child Benefit Service shows ‘John Smith’ or the tax credits computer shows ‘Sue Morgan’ and Child Benefit Service shows ‘Susan Morgan’.
    • where this is the only outstanding information, take the details on Child Benefit Service as correct and amend the details on the tax credits computer accordingly
  • the child’s name is completely different or the date of birth is incorrect, do not amend the tax credits computer
  • you have to contact the customer for any other outstanding information confirm these details after capturing the claim
  • the customer has provided details and you are satisfied it is the same child, amend the details on the tax credits computer accordingly
  • the details on Child Benefit Service are incorrect, tell the customer to contact the Child Benefit Office on 0300 200 3100 to correct these details
  • the details are completely different or if you are not completely satisfied it is the same child, do not make any amendments on the tax credits computer. It may later become a Rule 2 verification failure
    then, in all of the above situations
    • If there are childcare charges, go to Step 15.
    • If there no childcare charges, go to Step 16.

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Step 15

In Function CAPTURE APPLICATION, go to the Childcare screen to enter the childcare details from Part 3 of the claim form.

Note: Although the Childcare screen is after the Income screen, it is advisable to enter the details of the childcare charges immediately after entering the children so this information is not missed.

Note: Check the form TC600A attachment, if there is one as there may be more than one childcare provider to enter onto the tax credits computer.

Consider each of the points below on the claim form when capturing the childcare details

  • question 3.1 (name of childcare provider)
    • the childcare provider cannot be a relative, living at the customer’s address. For more information, use the ‘Childcare provider’ entry on TCM0320080
  • question 3.3 (telephone number)
    • there is no specific field for the phone number on the computer. If the customer provides a number, enter this after the childcare provider’s address
  • question 3.4 (approving body)
    • the name of the Local Authority or other approving body, for example OFSTED or the Child Minding Agency that registered or approved the childcare provider must be entered here
  • question 3.5 (registration number)
    • if the registration number is missing, contact the customer for this information after the claim has been captured
      Note: Some Scottish or Northern Ireland-based childcare providers may not have a registration number, just an approving body. You must verify this with the customer.
  • question 3.7 (average weekly childcare cost (weekly childcare costs))
    • if the figure given does not seem to be an appropriate weekly figure or the customer has stated that their weekly childcare costs total £0.00, contact the customer to confirm the weekly figure after the claim has been captured

then, after the claim has been captured

  • record the action you have taken in the Application Notes field
  • go to Step 16.

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Step 16

Go to the Work screen to enter the work details from part 4 of the claim form for customer 1 and customer 2, if appropriate

  • If the customer has ticked ‘No’ to question 4.1 (Do you currently do paid work?) on the claim form and has not completed the work details, go to Step 20.
  • If the customer has ticked ‘No’ to question 4.2 (Do you usually work in the United Kingdom?) on the claim form, have they specified which country they work in?
    Note: This question can be misinterpreted by the customer and they may enter the city, town or country where they work in the Country field which, if incorrect, can cause a Rule 12 verification failure. After the claim has been captured you must contact the customer to confirm if they actually do work outside the UK.
    • yes, they have specified which country they work in
      • enter the name of the country in the Country field
        then
      • go to Step 17.
    • no, they have not specified which country they work in
      • leave the Country field blank
      • after contacting the customer, if they still cannot specify which country they work in, leave this field blank
      • go to Step 17.
  • If the customer has ticked ‘Yes’ to question 4.2 (Do you usually work in the United Kingdom?) on the claim form
    • select the Employed checkbox
    • go to Step 17.

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Step 17

On the Work screen, enter the correct number of hours worked in the Total Hours Worked field

Note: Where a joint claim is made and the hours worked include fractions of an hour, either round up or down the hours before you enter this information onto the computer to reflect the joint hours worked on the claim. This is particularly important where the joint hours worked reaches the 30-hour threshold.

Note: If the total number of hours worked for both customers prior to rounding equals 30 hours or more, you must round the hours up.

Example 1

Customer 1 works 17.5 hours and customer 2 works 12.5 hours, the total hours would be 30 hours. However, it is not possible to enter fractions of hours onto the computer so in this instance the hours should be rounded up to 18 and 13 respectively.

Example 2

Customer 1 works 16.5 hours and customer 2 works 12.5 hours, the total hours would be 29 hours. However, it is not possible to enter fractions onto the computer so in this instance round the hours down to 16 and 12 respectively, then

  • If the customer is employed, go to Step 18.
  • If the customer is self-employed, go to Step 19.
  • If the customer has both an employed job and a self-employed job, go to Step 18 and then Step 19.

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Step 18

On the Work screen, enter the employer reference number in the Employer Reference field

  • If the correct employer reference number is entered, the employer’s name and address will be populated
    • accept the address populated by the computer and not the local address given by the customer to prevent a Rule 8 verification failure
    • go to Step 20.
  • If there is no employer reference number or the number is incorrect
    • only contact the customer for this information if you are contacting them for other information as well. Do not use the Taxpayer Business System (TBS) or Trace Employer to trace the details under any circumstances
      Note: If after contacting the customer, the employer reference number is still incorrect, enter the employer’s address provided by the customer in the Address field.
    • go to Step 20.
  • If the message (This content has been withheld because of exemptions in the Freedom of Information Act 2000) displays
    • continue to capture the claim but do not contact the customer for any missing information
    • when the claim has been captured, record your action in the Application Notes field
    • select [OK]
    • select [Process]
    • send the claim form to storage. Follow the guidance in TCM0074140
    • take no further action.

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Step 19

If the customer is self-employed, check whether they have provided the number of jobs they have on the claim form. If they have not stated how many jobs they have, enter ‘1’ in the Number of Paid Jobs field

then

  • If the customer has provided the start date for their self-employment and they started it over four months ago, have they provided a Unique Tax Reference (UTR) number at question 4.12 on the claim form?
    • yes, a UTR number has been provided
      • enter this number in the UTR field
      • go to Step 20.
    • no, a UTR number has not been provided
      • when contacting the customer, if they cannot provide the UTR number, give them the Self Assessment Helpline number 0845 9000 444 and ask them to contact us when they have this information
        Note: We give self-employed workers up to 12 months to provide us with a UTR number as sometimes this information is only available to them after their first year of trade.
      • go to Step 20.
  • If the customer has provided the start date for their self-employment and they started it less than four months ago, capture the claim without the UTR number. Go to Step 20.
  • If the customer has not provided the start date for their self-employment, continue to capture the claim without this information. Go to Step 20.

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Step 20

Go to the Income screen to enter the income details from part 5 of the claim form.

  • If the customer has stated they work 16 hours or more weekly, have they ticked one of the following boxes at question 5.1 on the claim form?
    Income Support (IS)
    Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) / Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
    Pension Credit (PC)
    Note: It is possible that there could be a two-week crossover period where benefit is being paid and the customer has just started work.
    • yes, one of the boxes has been ticked
      • after the claim has been captured, contact the customer to check which information is correct
        Note: If the customer confirms they are in receipt of IS, JSA or ESA and working 16 hours or more weekly accept this information but check if they receive contributions-based JSA or ESA, or income-based JSA or ESA. Make a note of this in the Application Notes field.
        Note: In the majority of cases customers cannot claim the previously-mentioned benefits if they are working 16 hours or more weekly. However, there are some customers who are working over 16 hours weekly and can still claim IS and ESA. Those claiming ESA and working over 16 hours weekly need to be referred to the International Claims Team once the claim has been captured.
        Note: All enquiries should be made to ensure that the case is not referred to the International Claims Team at an incomplete stage. If the information cannot be obtained by phone and a letter is required, ensure that a note of this is entered in the Application Notes field.
      • go to Step 23.
    • no, none of the boxes has been ticked, go to Step 25.
  • If the customer has not stated they work 16 hours or more weekly, go to Step 21.

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Step 21

Has the customer ticked one of the following boxes at question 5.1 on the claim form?

Income Support

Note: If no income or work details have been provided on the claim form, it is not necessary to contact the customer for those details.

Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance / Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)

Pension Credit

  • yes, one of the above boxes has been ticked, go to Step 22.
  • no, none of the above boxes have been ticked, go to Step 25.

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Step 22

Check the date of birth of the oldest child on the claim form. Is this within the last 31 days?

  • yes, the date of birth of the oldest child is within the last 31 days
    • go to the Summary Information screen to enter the child’s date of birth as the effective date of the claim in the Application Effective Date field
    • go to Step 23.
  • no, the date of birth of the oldest child is not within the last 31 days. Check the ADD system to check if Income Support includes any child premium for any children included on the claim form
    Note: For help on how to use ADD, follow the guidance in the Access to DWP Data System manual.
    • If Income Support includes a child premium, do not backdate entitlement for any children on the claim. Go to Step 23.
    • If Income Support does not include a child premium
      • go to the Summary Information screen to enter the effective date of the child as 31 days prior to the received date of the claim in the Application Effective Date field
        Note: This will ensure that the claim is backdated to the date the child was born.
      • go to Step 23.

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Step 23

Go back to the Income screen, if you are not already on this screen. If the customer has

  • ticked the Income Support question on the claim form, check the ADD system to confirm if the customer is in receipt of IS, JSA, ESA or PC.
    Note: For help on how to use ADD, follow the guidance in the Access to DWP Data System manual. You must not obtain any figures from ADD.
    • If ADD shows that the customer is in receipt of IS
      • select the ‘IS’ checkbox
      • go to Step 26.
    • If ADD shows that the customer is not in receipt of IS, go to Step 24.
  • not ticked the Income Support question on the claim form, go to Step 24.

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Step 24

On the Income screen, if the customer has

  • ticked the Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) / Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) question on the claim form
    • If ADD shows that the customer is in receipt of Income-based JSA / Income-related ESA
      • select the ‘JSA / ESA’ checkbox
      • go to Step 27.
    • If ADD shows that the customer is in receipt of Contributions-based JSA / Contributions-based ESA
      • leave the ‘JSA / ESA’ checkbox blank
        Note: The JSA / ESA checkbox is for Income-based JSA / Income-related ESA only.
      • where the customer has entered a figure at question 5.2 on the claim form, enter this figure as taxable social security benefits in the Social Security Benefits field
      • where the customer has not entered a figure at question 5.2 on the claim form and, after using ADD, you have confirmed that they are in receipt of Contributions-based JSA / Contributions-based ESA, note down this information on the Intelligent manual capture checklist.
      • after the claim has been captured, contact the customer to confirm how much taxable social security benefit they received in the previous year
      • make a note of the figure the customer gives you
      • enter this figure as taxable social security benefits in the Social Security Benefits field
      • go to Step 26.
  • not ticked the Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) / Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) question on the claim form, go to Step 25.

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Step 25

On the Income screen, if the customer has

  • ticked the Pension Credit (PC) question on the claim form, check if the customer is 60 years of age or over
    • If the customer is not 60 years of age or over, they cannot be in receipt of PC
      • leave the ‘MIG’ checkbox blank
      • go to Step 26.
    • If the customer is 60 years of age or over
      • select the ‘MIG’ checkbox
        Note: You do not need to confirm this information with the customer. However, if you are contacting them for any other information, confirm they are in receipt of Pension Credit and not just a private pension.
      • go to Step 26.
  • not ticked the Pension Credit question on the claim form, continue to capture the claim. Go to Step 26.

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Step 26

Continue to enter the income information onto the Income screen for customer 1 and customer 2, if appropriate. If the customer has provided a figure on the claim form at

  • question 5.2 (taxable social security benefits)
    • accept the figure provided
    • If the Social Security Benefits field is blank and the IS, JSA(IB), Income-related ESA or PC checkbox is completed, you do not need to check this information
  • question 5.3 (earnings as an employee)
    • accept any figure provided except if the question has been left blank
    • where the customer has left Part 5 of the claim form blank and has completed the work details at Part 4, make a note that there is missing previous year income
    • continue to capture the claim
      Note: If the income figure seems too low for the number of hours worked, contact the customer to confirm the income.
      Note: If the customer states their previous year income isn’t representative of their current circumstances, take the previous year income details and ask for an estimate of the current year income which can be sent as a change of circumstance once their claim is processed.
  • question 5.4 (company car and fuel, taxable vouchers and payments in kind)
    • accept the figure provided
      Note: If the customer states at questions 5.3 or 5.4 on the claim form or has made a note on the claim form that they are part of a salary sacrifice scheme, more information will need to be obtained. Follow the guidance in TCM0118140.
      Note: If the earnings at question 5.3 of the claim form is blank, any benefits in kind could be classed as income for tax credits purposes. You must contact the customer to clarify this information.
  • question 5.5 (income from self-employment)
    • accept the figure provided
    • where there is no income figure provided, note down on the Intelligent manual capture checklist the missing information
      Note: The customer may not have any income for the previous year if they were not working that year.
  • question 5.6 (other income)
    • accept the figure provided
      Note: If the customer is over 65 (60 for women) and question 5.6 on the claim form has not been answered, contact the customer for a State Pension figure.
  • question 5.7 (estimated income)
    • where the customer has ticked ‘Yes’ to this question, select the ‘Estimated’ checkbox
    • where the customer has ticked ‘No’ to this question, select the ‘Actual’ checkbox
    • where the question has not been answered, is this the only missing information on the claim?
      • yes, this is the only missing information on the claim, select the ‘Estimated’ checkbox
      • no, this is not the only missing information on the claim, contact the customer for this information after the claim has been captured
    • then
  • go to Step 27.

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Step 27

Go to the Payment screen to enter the payment details from part 6 of the claim form. Be aware of the following

  • where you are capturing a joint claim, the customer must indicate at question 6.2 on the claim form which one of them is the main carer. If it is not clear which one is the main carer, for example, if they have indicated on the claim form that both customers are the main carer, contact the customer for this information after the claim has been captured
  • the customer must indicate whether they wish their CTC and/or WTC to be paid weekly or four-weekly. If this is the only missing information, you can default the selection to four-weekly. However, if you need to contact the customer about any other missing information, ask for this information at the same time
  • where you are capturing a joint claim and only one person is working and the WTC recipient is not specified, the tax credits computer will not currently display a warning message. Select the working person as the WTC recipient. You do not need to contact the customer to obtain this information
  • for details of who can be the account holder, follow the guidance in TCM0046020
    Note: In a joint claim, if the bank details are only held for one customer, enter the same account details for both customers. You do not need to contact the customer about this and the account does not have to be in joint names.
  • the computer will match the details you have entered with the correct branch name and address details. The computer may in some cases match the details entered with the head office address and not the local branch address provided by the customer. If this happens and the bank or building society name matches but the address or postcode is different
    • accept the details the computer has matched
      Note: You must not overwrite the local branch address details.
    • accept the name of the bank or building society displayed by the computer. If the name is different, check the information held in the TCM0064180
      then
    • go to Step 28.

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Step 28

Check for a potential Rule 6 verification failure

  • If the branch address is missing on the claim form
    • make a note of the last digit of the entry in the Account Number field and then delete it
    • tab out of the Account Number field into any other field
    • return to the Account Number field and re-enter the last digit
    • tab out of the Account Number field again and the branch address should appear automatically
  • If the bank or building society details show as invalid or missing
    • consider any current Child Benefit payment that are being paid into a bank account. For how to do this, use TCM1000230
    • consider if customer is not in receipt of Child Benefit are they currently in receipt of Income Support, Job Seekers Allowance or Employment and Support Allowance, which is paid into a bank account. For how to do this, use TCM1000014
      • if you are able to obtain bank details - enter the bank details onto NTC - issue SEES letter TC2037 to inform the customer that bank details have been used from a departmental system - update Application notes with message LI60 from TCM0162060. For how to do this, use TCM1000028, go to Step 29.
      • if you are unable to obtain bank details - update the bank details with zeros - after the claim has been captured, contact the customer to obtain the correct bank or building society details, go to Step 29.

Step 29

Once the claim has been captured, check if the claim is a complex case. Follow the guidance in TCM0284140.

  • If the claim is a complex case
    • refer the case to the International Claims Team
    • select [OK]
    • select [Store]
      Note: All enquiries should be made to ensure that the case is not referred to the International Claims Team at an incomplete stage. If the information cannot be obtained by phone and a letter is required, ensure that a note is placed in the Application Notes field to inform the people dealing with the incompletes that they need to refer the case to the International Claims Team following their enquiries.
    • when the claim is captured, record your action in the Application Notes field
    • use Function MAINTAIN WORKLIST to
      • go to the Incomplete Applications work list to find the claim
      • when you have found the claim, transfer it to the appropriate International Claims Team MU. Use TCM0322460 for the correct MU number
    • send the claim form to storage. Follow the guidance in TCM0074140
      then
    • go to Step 30.
  • If the claim is not a complex case, go to Step 30.

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Step 30

In Function CAPTURE APPLICATION, go to the Summary Information screen

  • Check for signatures in the Declaration section of the claim form. Are all the signatures present?
    • Yes, the signatures are present, select the ‘Yes’ checkbox in the All Signatures Present field
    • No, the signatures are not present, select the ‘No’ checkbox in the All Signatures Present field
      then
    • when the claim has been captured, record all your actions in the Application Notes field
      Note: You must follow the guidance in TCM0152060 when you record the note and also follow the guidance in TCM0152040.
  • make a note of any errors, shown in the Repair Summary field on the Intelligent manual capture checklist. This information will be needed later
  • select [OK] and then always select [Store] to save the information you have captured
    then
  • follow the guidance in TCM0064280.