Child Tax Credit Contact Number

Important: Calls to this number cost 7p per minute, plus your operator’s access charge. We will connect your call directly to the UK Government helpline. We are not associated with UK Government.

Child Tax Credit Contact Number for Queries and Applications

Child Tax Credit Contact NumberChild Tax Credit is a national benefit available to households with one or more children but it is means tested so whether you are eligible and how much you may be entitled to will depend on your income and financial circumstances. Along with a number of other important benefits, Child Tax Credit is managed by HMRC. If you have any questions about it or you would like to make a new application, you can call the relevant HMRC department using the Child Tax Credit Contact Number on 0843 509 2527. Lines are open from 8am to 8pm during the week, and from 8am to 4pm on Saturdays so no matter what hours you work, it should be easy for you to find a convenient time to call.

Child Tax Credit Frequently Asked Questions

Although this benefit is not designed to be difficult to understand, the fact that no two people are in exactly the same position as far as personal and financial circumstances are concerned means that it is easy to get confused about the amount you may be entitled to, or if you are entitled to anything at all. With this in mind, we have put together a list of frequently asked questions. If, after reading through these questions, you are still confused, simply call the tax credits contact number mentioned above and ask for help.

  • Is the Family Element of Child Tax Credit Still Available? – The short answer to this is yes, it is still available but only to parents with children born before 6th April 2017. This element is being phased out in the forthcoming tax year, leaving just the per child elements. At the time of writing, the family element can be up to £545 with extra elements available to those on lower incomes.
  • How Much Can We Earn Before We Are Ineligible for This Benefit? – While some benefits have a quite clear cut-off point as far as personal income is concerned, the calculations are a little more complex for Child Tax Credit. Whether you are entitled to this benefit will depend not just on your household income but whether you pay for childcare from an approved provider or have additional expenses to meet for a disabled child in your care. If either of these factors are relevant, you may be able to qualify on a higher income than would otherwise be the case. The only way to find out for sure what you are entitled to is to call the Child Tax Credit Contact Number and explain your situation.
  • What Happens if My Circumstances Change? – If there are any changes to your financial circumstances or changes concerning the children in your household, you need to inform the Tax Credit Office at the earliest possible opportunity. If, for example, a child in your care leaves home or reaches the age of 16 and is not in an approved education or training programme, this should be reported to the relevant department so that your entitlement can be reassessed and adjusted. Similarly, if your household income decreases or increases, this is something the authorities should be notified of so that they can adjust your payments if necessary.
  • How Is Child Tax Credit Paid? – In common with other benefits, it can be paid directly into a bank, building society, or credit union account. When you first make your claim, you will need to provide details of your or your partner’s account to ensure that payments are not delayed once your application has been processed. If neither you nor your partner have such an account, and you are both unable to open one, you will need to get in touch with benefit officers to discuss what alternative payment methods may be available to you. You can use the Child Tax Credits number mentioned earlier to find out who exactly you need to speak to about your options if this is an issue that affects you.
  • Could My Child Tax Credit Payments Affect Other Benefits I Receive? – There is a benefit cap in place that limits the total amount of government benefits that people are able to receive but this only affects some recipients so the answer to this question will depend on your personal circumstances. For a definitive answer, you should contact the tax credit office and provide them with details of existing benefits you may be in receipt of, along with your household income and any other information that may be requested.
  • Can I Claim Tax Credits if I am Currently in Receipt of Universal Credit? – No. Universal Credit is a new benefit that is designed to replace a number of existing ones to make life simpler for both applicants and those who administer the benefits in question. In other words, if you are already claiming Universal Credit, your eligibility for Child Tax Credit will have been assessed and, assuming you qualified, added to the total amount you are paid every month.
  • Is My Entitlement Affected if I Have a Disabled Child? – Parents of children with mental or physical disabilities are often eligible for additional tax credits. You can find out if you are eligible by calling the tax credits contact number and providing details of your child’s disability, along with information regarding your personal circumstances. If your child is currently receiving Personal Independence Payment, Armed Forces Independence Payment or Disability Living Allowance then you will almost certainly qualify for additional tax credits.
  • How Soon After Moving to the UK Can I Make a Claim? – There are certain exceptions but in general, if you move to the United Kingdom from elsewhere in the European Economic Area, you must wait 3 months before you can claim Child Tax Credit. You will also, of course, have to meet the same requirements as UK nationals and others who have already lived in the UK for 3 months or more. Certain categories of people are exempt from this 3-month rule, including refugees, family members of people who are already living and working in the UK, and those who have been granted humanitarian protection.
  • Can I Make a Claim if I Live Overseas? – Certain UK nationals may still claim Child Tax Credit even if they are living outside of the country. Included in this category are Crown servants who receive overseas postings and those who live in a foreign country with a dependent child and who are currently in receipt of other UK benefits or a UK pension. If you live in another country and are in any doubt as to whether you are eligible, the best thing to do is to call the Child Tax Credits number during the aforementioned hours (factoring in any time difference of course) and ask to speak to somebody who is qualified to review your position.
  • Can I Continue to Receive Child Tax Credit if I Move Abroad? – Whether you will still be entitled to this benefit should you move to another country will depend on the amount of time that you intend to spend there. Generally speaking, if you are in another country for more than 8 weeks, either for a holiday or business trip, your payments will stop after this period of time. However, if you need to be in another country for medical treatment or owing to the death of a close relative, you can still claim Child Tax Credit for up to 12 weeks. If you are planning to be out of the country for a longer period of time than either 8 or 12 weeks (whichever is applicable to your circumstances) and you believe you should still be entitled to receive your benefit payments, you will need to contact the Tax Credit Office to discuss your claim.

Calling the Child Tax Credit Contact Number

As mentioned at the top of this page, the lines are open 7 days a week so you should not find it difficult to find a time when you can make a call without having to rush your conversation. To make your call as simple as possible, you should ensure that you have all relevant details to hand beforehand. These may include your household income, the number of children you have along with their ages, details of any educational or training courses that children between the ages of 16 and 20 may be currently enrolled in, and details of any physical or mental disabilities that may affect any of your children.

If you have trouble getting through at a certain time, it could be best to wait a couple of hours and try again when lines may be less busy. Sundays are often quieter than other days but if you can only call during the week, try calling during the first couple of hours in the morning or the first couple of hours after lunch on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday.

Additional Resources

The official UK Gov website on child tax credit

Money advice service on child tax credit