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Tax Credits: External commentary

This section of the site contains links to information about tax credits written by other, non-governmental organisations.

If your organisation produces tax credits material please let us know and we will include it below.

Low Incomes Tax Reform Group
Citizens Advice
Child Poverty Action Group
Turn2us
Disability Alliance
TaxAid
Gingerbread
Newcastle welfare rights unit
Advice NI

Low Incomes Tax Reform Group

The Low Incomes Tax Reform Group (LITRG) is an initiative of the Chartered Institute of Taxation to give a voice to the unrepresented in the tax and tax credits systems.

LITRG, in association with Advicenow, have published a guide for tax credits claimants giving advice on how to challenge tax credits overpayments. This PDF guide contains lots of practical hints and tips and gives help on how to write a dispute letter.

The LITRG website also has a news section where articles are posted about various tax and tax credits subjects. You can sign-up for news alerts on the LITRG website. Below are some links to tax credits news articles. These articles were published at various times over the last few years and are for historic reference only. The articles have not been updated since they were written and therefore should not be relied upon as being up to date.

Contact HMRC or your tax credits might stop (March 2012 ) - An article encouraging claimants to contact HMRC if one of the exceptions to the new 24 hour rule for couples applies.
Campaigners welcome new exception for carers (March 2012) - LITRG’s led a coalition of charities writing to the Minister to ask for an exception to the new 24 hour rule for couples with children where one partner is entitled to carer’s allowance.
Tax Credits – Listen to HMRC and lose thousands of pounds (March 2012) - An article examining the TC1015 letter sent to 1.3 million tax credits claimants in March 2012 which contained inaccurate information.
LITRG welcomes new tax credits helpline (December 2011) - An article following HMRC’s announcement that the tax credits helpline would move to an 0345 number.
More tax credits cuts announced in the Autumn Statement ( November 2011) - A look at the cuts to tax credits announced in the 2011 Autumn Statement.
Error and Fraud – Physician Heal Thyself (October 2010) - An article examining the announcement of a HMRC/DWP joint error and fraud strategy.

Tax credits renewals 2010 (July 2010) - A short article explaining the importance of the renewals process.

Tax Credits changes in April 2011 – the facts (July 2010) - The emergency budget in June 2010 set out several substantial changes to the tax credits system, this article explains the changes in more detail.

School’s out for summer – check your tax credits (July 2010) - An outline of the changes that parents need to think about when children leave school.

Childcare vouchers – still a trap for many (April 2010) - A further article from LITRG examining the interactions between employer provided childcare vouchers and the childcare element of working tax credit.

HMRC home visits – how do you get one? (April 2010) - HMRC have a published policy offering home visits to people who need help. This article raises some concerns about access to that service.

Long term sick to become much poorer (March 2010) - An article examining the impact of the transfer of existing incapacity benefit claimants to employment and support allowance from October 2010 and the tax credits implications.

HMRC mislead employers on tax credits (February 2010) - An article which highlights errors in materials published by HMRC for employers to raise the profile of tax credits.

Tax Credits – fairness for claimants who report changes late (January 2010) - This article explains the re-introduction of HMRC’s notional offsetting policy for claimants who report changes late.

DWP leads the way on telephone costs (January 2010) - Following the DWP announcement that calls from mobile phones to their major helplines would be free to claimants, this article compares this to HMRC’s strategy on telephone calls.

Backdating of claims – another tax credits scandal? (December 2009) - LITRG discuss the backdating provisions in working tax credit and explain why many claimants may have missed out on backdating payments as it isn’t always given automatically by HMRC nor did any guidance exist about backdating on the claim form.

Telephoning HMRC? Keep a careful note (November 2009) - This article outlines the problems when using the telephone to contact HMRC should a dispute arise at a later date over what was said. It also explains how to request copies of phone calls and what to do if HMRC cannot find any record.

Tax relief on childcare vouchers – a blessing or a curse? (November 2009) - Following the Government’s announcement that they planned to abolish tax relief on childcare vouchers, this article looks again at the interactions between childcare vouchers and the childcare element of working tax credit.

Bad Start for HMRC’s push to increase tax credits take up (October 2009) - HMRC initiated a campaign in 2009 to increase uptake of working tax credit. This article outlines the errors that were contained in the campaign material.

Tax Credits disputes – a ray of hope (September 2009) - This article outlines the new processes implemented by HMRC in September 2009 to deal with disputes, complaints and explanations from organisations offering free advice to claimants. The new process involved the setting up of the Intermediaries Dispute and Complaints Team (IDCT).

Citizens Advice

Citizens Advice publish an advice guide online which includes information about tax credits.

Information for people in work - This includes information about working tax credit including who can get it, how it is paid, how to apply and dealing with problems.
Child Tax Credit - Information about child tax credit including who can get it, how it is paid and the rates of child tax credit.

Citizens Advice also publish a range of factsheets on tax credits:

Child Poverty Action Group

CPAG have a dedicated tax credits section on their website for advisers. They have produced a series of tax credits factsheets on various topics:

Tax credits and childcare (updated April 2011)
Tax credits and complaints (updated April 2011)
Tax credits annual review (updated April 2011)
Tax credits checks (updated April 2011)
Tax credits for lone parents (April 2011)
Tax credits and self-employment (updated April 2011)
Tax credits – challenging decisions (updated April 2011)
Tax credits and judicial review (updated April 2011)
Tax credits – reporting changes of circumstances (updated April 2011)
Tax credits: a passport to other help (updated April 2011)
Tax credits overpayments (updated April 2011)
Tax credits and penalties (updated April 2011)
Tax credits for disabled workers (updated April 2011)
Tax credits and foster carers (updated April 2011)
Tax credits and going back to work (updated April 2011)
Tax credits and flexible working (April 2011)
Tax credits for people from abroad (updated April 2011)

CPAG (England and Wales) also produce e-bulletin tax credits updates for advisers.

The e-bulletins are published on the CPAG website and you can sign up to receive them via email.

CPAG (Scotland) also produce e-bulletin tax credits updates for advisers.

CPAG (Scotland) have also produced a factsheet about tax credits and students (updated to November 2008).

CPAG also publish (both in hard copy and online) the Welfare Benefits and Tax Credits Handbook which has several tax credits chapters which explore the system in greater detail.

Turn2us

Turn2us is a charitable service which helps people access the money available to them through welfare benefits, grants and other help.

Entitledto, the benefits calculator that many advisers will be familiar with, is now part of the Turn2us website.

The charity also produce information on a range of topics including tax credits.

Disability Alliance

Disability Alliance is a charity which works to relieve the poverty and improve the living standards of disabled people.

The DA website includes several sections with information about tax credits specifically for disabled people.

TaxAid

TaxAid is a charity that helps people on low incomes to understand the bits of the tax system that apply to them. They also give advice on tax credits.

The TaxAid website contains information on a wide range of tax credits issues.

Gingerbread

Gingerbread are a charity who support single parents. They produce a wide range of information for single parents on benefits and tax credits. A full list of publications is on the Gingerbread website.

They have a useful decision tree which helps claimants what changes need to be reported for child benefit and tax credits when their child turns 16.

Newcastle welfare rights unit

Newcastle welfare rights unit is part of Newcastle city council and produces a range of information on tax credits.

As well as a series of factsheets, the unit produce a free 61 page tax credit guide which is available via email from their website.

Advice NI

Advice NI is an independent advice network based on Northern Ireland. They have a dedicated tax credits section on their website.

Updated 1 May 2012

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