About 24,000 HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) Customers with a postcard account only have 3 weeks to update the service with new payment information by the November 30, 2021 deadline, otherwise payments will be suspended.
From December 1, 2021, HMRC will stop paying tax credits, family allowances and guardian’s allowances to postcard accounts. HMRC urges account holders to contact them to update their bank details in order to continue receiving payments without interruption.
Customers can choose to receive their benefits and credits into the account of a bank, building society, or credit union. If they already have another account, they can contact HMRC now to update their contact details.
Family Allowance and Guardian Allowance customers can use their personal tax account to provide revised account details, change their bank details through GOV.UK or by contacting the Family Allowance Hotline on 0300 200 3100 Tax Credit customers can change their bank details by contacting the Tax Credit Hotline on 0345 300 3900. If customers cannot open a bank account, they should contact HMRC.
Myrtle Lloyd, HMRCThe general manager of customer services, said:
Time is running out for customers who have used a postcard account to get payments from us. They need to give us their new account details now to avoid their payments being suspended.
They may update their information online or by calling us, and they should be very careful to avoid passing personal information on to scammers who contact them claiming to be from HMRC.
If a customer exceeds the November 30 deadline, their payments will be suspended until the customer notifies them. HMRC of their new account details.
The Monetary Advice and Pensions Service offers information and advice on how to choose the right checking account and How to open an account.
HMRC recently reached out to customers to get them to take action.
HMRC urges everyone to be vigilant if they are contacted unexpectedly by someone asking for money or personal information. Customers must always enter the full online address www.gov.uk/hmrc to access the voucher HMRC Contact information. HMRC sees a large number of scammers sending emails, calls or texts to people claiming to be in the department. If in doubt, HMRC advises not to respond directly to anything suspicious, but to contact them immediately and search GOV.UK for ‘HMRC scams’.
More information
HMRC has been writing to affected customers since October 2019 to notify them of the closure of their postcard accounts, urging them to take action so that their payments are not affected.
In September 2021, the Directorate of Work and Pensions (DWP) has announced that it has accepted a 12-month extension for its customers who use a postcard account. If only HMRC customers also receive DWP payments, this extension only applies to DWP-the related payments.
