In this section:
- Getting proof of tax credits payments if you claim other benefits
- How tax credits affect other benefits
- Tax credits information if you're coming off benefits
- Other help you might qualify for if you get tax credits
- How other benefits can affect your tax credits
Getting proof of tax credits payments if you claim other benefits
From time to time you might have to provide proof that you're getting tax credits. So it's a good idea to keep all your tax credits paperwork together in a safe place in case you need it later on.
On this page:
- Why you might need proof you're getting tax credits
- What proof you might need
- Where you can get proof
- If you can’t find - or don’t have - an award notice
- How long you should keep paperwork for
- Contact the Tax Credit Office
Why you might need proof you're getting tax credits
Sometimes the amount of tax credits you get is taken into account if you're claiming some other types of benefit.
You might have to give proof that you're getting tax credits if you wanted to claim benefits such as:
- Income Support
- income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
- income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Pension Credit
- Housing Benefit
- Council Tax Benefit
- certain local council benefits - like a clothing grant, or free school meals
Some of the offices who pay these benefits may ask to see your tax credits award for proof of your income or to show that you're entitled to tax credits.
What proof you might need
You might have to fill in a form if you're going to claim any other benefits or grants. Ask the organisation you're applying to for help with what you need to provide. For example, they might want:
- your tax credits award notice - remember to send in your latest award notice (but keep a copy) and ask for it back when your claim has been dealt with
- your tax credits reference number
- proof that you're still getting tax credits
- confirmation of the amount of tax credits you're getting
Where you can get proof
If you're already getting tax credits, your award notice will contain all the information that's needed including:
- proof that you're entitled to tax credits
- the amount of tax credits you get
If you've just made a tax credits claim you may not have got your award notice yet. But you should get this within 30 days of making your claim.
Find out when you can expect your first tax credits payment
If you can’t find - or don’t have - an award notice
You can ask the Tax Credit Helpline for a copy of your award notice. You should tell them why you need it when you contact them.
The Tax Credit Office will send you one of the following:
- A 'copy notice' if your original notice has been lost or damaged after you received it. This is exactly the same as your original notice - including the original issue date.
- A 'duplicate notice' if you didn't get the original notice. This is the same as the original, except the issue date is the date the duplicate was sent out.
- An original notice if you were never sent an award notice in the first place.
How long you should keep paperwork for
There's no rule for how long you should keep your tax credits paperwork - it's up to you. But it's a good idea to keep award notices and other important letters until you stop getting tax credits.
Contact the Tax Credit Office
If you need more help you can call the Tax Credit Helpline which is open from 8.00 am to 8.00 pm every day except Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day. The numbers you can ring are:
- tel 0845 300 3900
- textphone 0845 300 3909 - if you are deaf or have a hearing or speech impairment
If you're outside the UK you can also call on Tel + 44 289 053 8192.
More useful links
Check your tax credits award notice
Find out how tax credits can affect other benefits
