Renewing your tax credits claim - the basics

The Tax Credit Office will ask you to 'renew' your tax credits claim once a year. This is to make sure you've been paid - and continue to be paid - the right money. Find out who needs to renew, the forms involved, how to renew and what happens if you don't renew.

On this page:

Why it's important to renew your tax credits

You need to renew your tax credits so that the Tax Credit Office:

  • has the right information about you
  • knows if anything has changed that could affect what you qualify for
  • can make sure you get what you are entitled to for the coming tax year
  • can check that what you were paid during the last tax year was right

If you're paid more tax credits than you're entitled to (an 'overpayment') you will usually have to pay the money back.

A tax year starts on 6 April one year and ends on 5 April the following year.

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Who needs to renew

You need to renew if you have been sent an Annual Declaration form TC603D (or TC603D2) with an Annual Review notice (TC603R).

You don't need to renew if you have only been sent an Annual Review notice. Your claim will be renewed automatically. The exception to this is where your income may be too high for you to get tax credits. If this applies to you, the Tax Credit Office will write to you telling you what you need to do.

Even if your claim is renewed automatically, 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

Tax credits: changes you need to report and when

Contact details for the Tax Credit Helpline

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Who gets a renewal pack

Everyone who makes a claim for tax credits during a tax year gets a renewal pack. This also applies if you:

  • claimed tax credits but didn't get them because your income is too high (a 'nil' award)
  • only got tax credits for part of the year

You get a separate renewal pack for each claim you have made during the year.

The forms in your pack

Your pack may include:

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

You'll just get an Annual Review notice if any of the following applies to you:

  • you just get the Family element of Child Tax Credit
  • you claimed tax credits but didn't get them because your income was too high
  • you got Income Support, Income Based Job Seeker’s Allowance, Income Based Employment Support Allowance or Pension Credit for the whole of the last tax year

Your most recent award notice will give you details of your tax credits entitlement.

Checking your tax credits award notice

Help with the tax credits renewal pack

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When you can expect the renewal pack

The packs are issued between early April and 30 June each year, roughly as follows:

  • both the Annual Declaration and Annual Review forms generally go out towards the beginning of this period
  • the Annual Review forms only generally go out towards the end of this period

The first year of your tax credits claim

If you claimed:

  • just before April, you can expect your pack around late June that same year
  • after 6 April, you can expect your pack between April and 30 June the following year

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What to do if you don't get a renewal pack

If you haven't been sent your renewal pack by 15 July 2011, you should contact the Tax Credit Helpline.

The Tax Credit Helpline will send you the renewal forms you need. You'll then have 30 days to renew or report a change in circumstances. Your payments will carry on in the meantime.

You can't get a renewal pack online.

Contact details for the Tax Credit Helpline

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How - and when - to renew

You won't be able to renew until you have received your renewals pack and you know what forms you've been sent.

Once you've got your pack, if you need to renew do so as soon as possible. The final deadline for renewing is usually 31 July but check if your pack shows a different deadline.

You can renew in one of the following ways:

  • completing the Annual Declaration form and returning it to the Tax Credit Office
  • calling the Tax Credit Helpline

You can't renew online.

Contact details for the Tax Credit Helpline and Tax Credit Office

When to renew your tax credits

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Information you need when you renew using the Helpline

When you contact the Helpline, have the following paperwork handy:

  • your renewal pack
  • details of any changes in your circumstances that you haven't already reported
  • the amount of your total income (including that of any partner) for the last tax year

Getting ready to renew your tax credits

Help with the tax credits renewal pack

Changes you need to report and when for tax credits

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Your payments before you renew

Your payments:

  • will carry on from the start of the new tax year until such time as you renew your claim or 31 July, whichever comes first
  • may carry on a bit longer if you should have got a renewal pack but it was issued late
  • will be temporary (or 'provisional') until you give the Tax Credit Office the information they need

If you delay renewing, your payments may be wrong. You may have to repay any overpayment.

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What happens if you don't renew

If you've been sent an Annual Declaration and don't renew, the following will happen:

  • your payments will stop
  • you will have to pay back any overpayment from both the previous tax year and from the start of the new tax year
  • you'll get a statement from the Tax Credit Office about your tax credits payments
  • you have a further 30 days to provide the information asked for
  • if you don't provide the information within 30 days, you will usually have to make a new tax credits claim

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What happens after you renew - or report a change of circumstances

Unless your claim has been automatically renewed, the Tax Credit Office will send you:

  • an award notice with a final decision for the last tax year - usually within eight weeks
  • a separate award notice showing what your payments will be for the new tax year, including any overpayments or underpayments

The Tax Credit Office may write to you to check that you have renewed correctly and may ask you for evidence, for example, of your income. So keep any relevant paperwork safe.

If you don't get your award notice within eight weeks, contact the Tax Credit Helpline.

Contact details for the Tax Credit Helpline

Checking your tax credits award notice

When you can expect your tax credits renewal to be dealt with

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More useful links

How to avoid being paid too much or not enough tax credits

Tax credits - rights and responsibilities

Entitlement tables for tax credits - get started

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