Recently, a major problem came to light. More than 577,000 parents in the UK experienced financial problems. Because of an error, they failed to receive their usual child benefit from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) on time. To help these people, the tax authorities have started to distribute £50 to compensate for this error.
On 3 June, many parents woke up to find they had less money than expected. Nearly a third of planned salaries have not been paid by HMRC. Due to this unexpected liquidity shortage, many people are panicking as they try to get paid.
Word from Money Saving Expert Martin Lewis
The Money Saving Expert Martin Lewis said some folks have received letters from the tax group about cash. But it seems that not everyone affected by the problem has yet been told about the £50. This lack of news has further upset those who were due to receive the money.
People who have faced extra costs because of late payment can claim more money from HMRC. If the 577,000 parents are asking for the full £50, it could be a hefty bill.
One internet user claimed to have received a note from HMRC which said:"First note I've seen about delayed child benefit payments from HMRC: "First note I've seen about delayed child benefit payments from HMRC, £50 to apologise and ask for proof of additional costs to get the money back".
But Martin Lewis said he hadn't seen many of these notes. He stated:"Interesting, not many coming in to me yet either. I'll RT to see if there are others."
HMRC's Move to Sort the Issue
In the latest HMRC statistics from August 2023, 6.91 million households were in receipt of child benefit. The group claimed at the time that they were aware of the problem, and were "quickly" trying to resolve it, as well as doing their utmost to ensure that it did not happen again.
A spokesperson for HMRC apologised for the mix-up and said: "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."
How Parents Can Ask for Money Back
For those affected by this hold-up, here's how to claim your money:
- Receive a Notification from HMRC: Parents must wait for a letter from HMRC regarding the £50 payment.
- Gather Evidence of Costs: If the wait has resulted in additional expenses, gather evidence such as bank documents or purchase slips.
- Submit a Claim: Follow the steps in the letter to ask for more money.
- Wait for the Answer: HMRC will check the claim and let you know what should be done next.
