Tax and Benefits

We want all of our Members to be great at managing their money. Are you receiving the correct benefits? paying the right tax? Claimed Child benefit? Any gaps in your state pension or national insurance contributions? Here’s how to find out!

Tax and benefits affects all of us. One simple way to keep track of your tax and benefits is your own personal HMRC account. HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) are the UK government’s tax, payments and customs authority. They collect the money (tax) that pays for the UK’s public services, and help families and individuals with targeted financial support (benefits). Remember, your HMRC account is unique to you and access should not to be shared with others.

Here’s the list of HMRC services:

• personal tax Self Assessment
• PAYE for employers
• Tax credits
• National Insurance
• Income Tax
• VAT
• Child Benefit
• Paying HMRC
• Tax agents and advisers

Get the App

The simplest way to manage your HMRC account is the HMRC app on your mobile. If your child benefit is paid into your credit union account, this is the simplest way to set that up – see Frugal Mum’s explanation on Youtube.

What the app does

The HMRC app is a quick and easy way to get information about your tax, National Insurance, tax credits and benefits.

You can use it to check:

• your tax code
• your National Insurance number
• your income and benefits
• your employment and income history from the previous 5 years
• how much you will receive in tax credits and when they will be paid
• your Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR) for Self Assessment
• how much Self Assessment tax you owe
• your Child Benefit
• your State Pension

How to access the App

Open the app and enter your Government Gateway user ID and password to sign in for the first time. If you do not have a Government Gateway user ID, you can create one in the App.

You’ll then be able to access the App quickly and easily by signing in using either:

• a 6-digit PIN
• your fingerprint
• facial recognition