FURIOUS parents were left without tax credit cash after the HMRC phones lines went down late last week.
The issue had been ongoing since Friday and the technical fault led customers to complain on Twitter.
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One angry tax credit customer said on Twitter: “My child tax credit hasn’t been paid today but your phone lines aren’t available to speak to someone about it – what am I supposed to do?”
Another said: “I’m desperate to speak to someone, how long are the technical issues going to last?”
“I’m trying to call in regards to my tax credits but you’re phone lines are down!” said a third customer.
“Do you have another way of contacting you? Can I chat with someone online or something? Absolute nightmare.”
HMRC told The Sun that its phone lines have now reopened.
A spokesperson said: “Our helplines are all open and taking calls.
“Our online services are also working well and we encourage people to use them.
“We thank people for their patience and apologise for any inconvenience caused by the technical problems over recent days.”
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It comes after HMRC took the decision to close its phone lines on Thursday (December 1).
In a tweet, HMRC said: “Due to technical issues we have taken the decision to shut a number of our phone lines and online services.
“We are sorry for any inconvenience and are working urgently to resolve this issue.”
This included its tax credit hotline as well as the numbers used for those who need advice filling in their tax returns.
But by Friday, the issue was still unresolved and HMRC released a statement which said: “Our online services are working well and we encourage people to continue using them.
“We are working to urgently resolve a technical problem that has seen us temporarily close most of our phone lines.
“We apologise to people affected and will reopen them as soon as possible.”
How can I contact the HMRC by phone?
You can phone up the HMRC for help on 0345 300 3900, and lines are open from 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday.
Phone lines are usually less busy Tuesday to Thursday from 2pm to 4pm.
And customers can still get in touch with HMRC via over means.
How else can you get in touch with HMRC?
If you couldn’t access your account because of technical issues, there are a number of other ways you can ask HMRC for help.
Firstly, customers can manage their tax credits online. They can:
- report changes that affect their tax credits
- view a list of your future payments
- view a list of your 3 previous payments
HMRC also offers a live digital assistant on the Gov.UK website.
HMRC is replying to customers who are tweeting about their problems, so it might be an idea to get in touch with them via their social media pages.
Start your tweet with @HMRCcustomers between 8am to 8pm, Monday to Saturday.
What are tax credits?
There are two types of tax credits – working tax and child tax credit.
Working tax credits are for those who are earning a low income from work.
Child tax credits are for those with kids who may or may not be working.
You could claim one or both tax credits. Both aim to help households on lower incomes to cover everyday essentials.
The payment is made by HMRC to those who are eligible, depending on how much you earn, how many hours you work, and whether you have kids.
The exact amount you can get depends on your circumstances, so take the below figures with a pinch of salt.
Working tax credits per year:
- Basic element £2,070
- Couple and lone parent element £2,125
- 30 hour element £860
- Disabled worker element £3,345
- Severe disability element £1,445
- Childcare element £175 or £300, depending on the number of children
Child tax credits per year:
- Family element £545
- Child element £2,935
- Disability element: disabled child rate £3,545
- Disability element: severally disabled child rate £1,430
But tax credits have now been replaced by Universal Credit and you can only make a claim for child tax credit or working tax credit if you already get tax credits.
Millions are eligible for Universal Credit – so launch claims now
The amount you will get depends on several criteria, including your age, earnings, whether you live with a partner, have children or are disabled.
The standard monthly allowance for single people aged under 25 is £344, rising to £411.51 for older claimants.
Brits that are in a couple, where both members are under 25, will get £490.60 for both people.
If either half of the couple is over 25, you’ll get £596.58.
You will get extra money if you’ve got children or have a health or disability condition.
You can also claim more cash if you need help with your housing costs.
You may be able to get Universal Credit if:
- you’re on a low income or out of work
- you’re 18 or over – but there are some exceptions if you’re 16 to 17
- you’re under State Pension age (or your partner is)
- you and your partner have £16,000 or less in savings between you
- you live in the UK
If you’re not eligible for Universal Credit, you can use the government’s benefits calculator to find out what help you can get
