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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
World
Linda Howard & Aaliyah Rugg

Deadline for people who collect benefits from Post Office

A warning has been issued to some people collecting benefits through the Post Office.

From April 6, 2022, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) will stop making Tax Credits, Child Benefit and Guardian's Allowance Payments to Post Office card accounts.

Now, a warning has been issued to customers that they have less than eight weeks to update the department with new payment details.

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The deadline is April 5, or people risk having payments paused, the Daily Record reports.

HMRC is urging account holders to contact them as soon as possible to update their bank account details to continue receiving payments without disruption.

In a post on Twitter on February 9, HMRC tweeted: ”Does your Child Benefit or Tax Credits get paid into a Post Office card account? If so, you’ll need to switch to a bank, building society or credit union for your payments to continue. Changes come into effect from 5 April.”

Customers were previously told they could choose to receive their benefits payments into a bank, building society or credit union account.

Guidance on the Gov.UK website has also been updated, warning: "If you do not give HMRC your bank, building society or credit union account details by 5 April 2022, your payments will stop."

For those unable to open a bank account should contact the office that pays for the benefits to find out how to get paid.

Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s Director General for Customer Services, said in November: "Time is running out for customers who have been using a Post Office Card account to get payments from us. They need to give us their new account details now to avoid their payments being suspended.

"They can update their details online or by calling us, and they need to be very careful to avoid handing over personal details to fraudsters contacting them claiming to be from HMRC."

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