Benefit payments to Post Office accounts are ending
If you have tax credits, child benefit or guardian’s allowance paid into a Post Office Card Account you must update HMRC with new payment details or risk having your payments paused.
UPDATE FROM HMRC 29 NOVEMBER 2021
HMRC had originally set a 30 November 2021 deadline for notifying the change, but has agreed a one-off extension to the contract with the Post Office to allow recipients until 5 April 2022 to provide alternative account details to HMRC. This means those 13,000 customers, who are still to notify HMRC, will temporarily be able to continue to receive their payments into their Post Office account, giving them extra time to set up new accounts and notify the department.
HMRC is still encouraging those benefiting from the extension to switch their account at the earliest opportunity. The remainder of information below originally dated 12 November still applies.
From April 2022, HMRC will stop making any payments into Post Office Card Accounts because their contract with the Post Office is ending. If you do not update HMRC by the end of the month, HMRC will suspend payments and pay the balance when it receives your new details.
You can choose to receive your payments to a bank, building society or credit union account.
The way in which you should advise HMRC of your new bank account depends on the payments you are receiving.
If you receive child benefit or guardian’s allowance you will be able to use your Personal Tax Account to provide revised account details, or change your details via GOV.UK or you can call the child benefit helpline on 0300 200 3100.
If you are a tax credits customer, you should contact the tax credits helpline on 0345 300 3900.
If you need further guidance, The Money Advice Service has some easy to follow advice on their website.
As always, we would recommend that you are mindful of anyone contacting you out of the blue and asking for money or personal information. There are a high number of fraudsters emailing, calling or texting people claiming to be from the HMRC. If in doubt, never reply directly or click a link on anything suspicious. Contact HMRC straight away and search GOV.UK for ‘HMRC scams’.
