Approximately 500,000 Child Benefit claimants who did not receive their scheduled payments on Monday, June 3, will now receive them on the morning of Wednesday, June 5, as confirmed by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). Claimants can also submit a claim for redress if they have been financially disadvantaged. HMRC assures that payments due on Tuesday, June 4, will be processed as usual.
We’ve contacted HMRC, which administers Child Benefit, for updates on the situation. Here’s the latest information:
Around 30% of claimants who were supposed to receive payments on Monday, June 3, did not. This issue has affected an estimated 500,000 people who receive Child Benefit either weekly or monthly. According to the latest HMRC figures from August 2023, 6.91 million families receive Child Benefit payments.
When will the delayed UK Child Benefit be paid?
HMRC has now stated that the payments due on Monday, June 3, will be processed on the morning of Wednesday, June 5. Initially, HMRC could not provide a timeframe for resolving the problem, only indicating that it was working on it “urgently.” They have since identified the issue as a “processing error.”
Urgent Poll: Child Benefit were you meant to get it this morning? Has it arrived…
(trying to establish if there’s a problem and the scale of it)
— Martin Lewis (@MartinSLewis) June 3, 2024
Child Benefit is typically paid every four weeks on Monday or Tuesday. HMRC has confirmed that payments due Tuesday, June 4, will still be made on time.
Claiming Redress for Financial Loss
If you have incurred a direct financial loss due to the delayed payment, HMRC advises you to apply for redress. Keep a record of any costs incurred, such as charges for bounced bill payments due to the missing Child Benefit. You can file a complaint using the online complaints form available on the Gov.uk website.
Initially, HMRC indicated that claimants could not seek redress until their Child Benefit payment was received. We are verifying if this policy has changed now that a fix has been implemented and will provide updates as soon as new information is available.
An HMRC spokesperson stated: “We are very sorry that some customers did not receive their scheduled Child Benefit payments as expected, and we understand the concern and difficulty this may have caused. We have now fixed the problem and are putting measures in place to prevent this from happening again.”
Other DWP and HMRC Updates this week
Universal Credit Overpayment Recovery
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has recently announced a review of its policy on recovering overpayments for Universal Credit claimants. This comes after complaints that aggressive recovery tactics were causing undue financial hardship for vulnerable individuals.
New Tax Changes for Self-Employed Workers
HMRC has introduced new tax guidelines for self-employed workers, aiming to simplify the process of tax calculation and submission. These changes are expected to be fully implemented by the next financial year, providing clearer instructions and reducing administrative burdens for self-employed individuals.
DWP Digital Transformation Initiatives
The DWP is embarking on a significant digital transformation journey to improve service delivery and efficiency. This includes the development of new online platforms for benefit applications and customer service, aimed at reducing wait times and enhancing user experience.
HMRC Crackdown on Tax Evasion
HMRC has intensified its efforts to combat tax evasion, with a particular focus on offshore accounts and digital currencies. Recent investigations have led to substantial recoveries and the prosecution of several high-profile cases.
