When can you expect your first tax credits payment?

How quickly you'll receive a payment depends on whether the Tax Credit Office can make a decision based on your claim form or not. If you have not given the Tax Credit Office all the information they need they may have to contact you and this can cause delays.

What happens once your claim is processed?

Once the Tax Credit Office has dealt with your claim form you'll get either a letter explaining why you do not qualify for tax credits or an award notice. You'll also get information about your rights of appeal.

The award notice tells you:

that you qualify for tax credits
if you'll get Child Tax Credit, Working Tax Credit or both
how much money you'll receive
what information the Tax Credit Office has used to work out your award
when and how to contact the Tax Credit Office if your circumstances change

Make sure you keep your tax credits award notice in a safe place.

How long will you have to wait?

The Tax Credit Office aims to get back to you about your claim within three weeks of receiving it.

If you qualify for tax credits, your award notice will tell you the date of your first payment and when you'll get further payments.

You may get your first payment before you get your award notice. You must check your award notice once you get it, and tell the Tax Credit Office straight away if anything is wrong, missing or incomplete. You can do this by calling the Tax Credit Helpline.

If you make any mistakes or leave gaps on your claim form, the Tax Credit Office may have to contact you or make further enquiries. This can cause delays and may mean you wait longer for your first payment.

Contact the Tax Credit Helpline

You've got financial difficulties and haven’t got your payment

If you can't meet your essential living expenses such as rent, gas or electricity bills, and you haven't heard from the Tax Credit Office within three weeks, please contact the Tax Credit Helpline.

They will be able to tell you what the latest is on your claim and whether there is any information they are still waiting for.

Changes to your claim

If after you have sent in your claim form you need to make a change you should tell the Tax Credit Office immediately. For example you might realise you've made a mistake, forgotten to report something or your circumstances change.

If they can, the Tax Credit Office will treat the information you give them as part of your original claim.

You can contact the Tax Credit Office by calling the Tax Credit Helpline.