The government has launched a new advertising campaign to remind customers to renew their tax credits on time.

Tax credits help working families with targeted financial support. Unlike other benefits, tax credits usually have to be renewed each year as the amount of money you’ll receive depends on how much money you earned in the previous year.

Not everyone has to renew their tax credits every year – but if you do the deadline is 31 July 2019.

Existing claimants receive a renewal pack between April and July. However, customers will not get a renewal pack until April 2020 if they first claimed tax credits after 6 April 2019.

The benefit can be renewed online at gov.uk or by using the HMRC smartphone app. Claimants can also use the government portal to check on the progress of their renewal, be reassured it’s being processed and know when they’ll hear back from HMRC.

Angela MacDonald, director general for customer services at HMRC, said: We know that customers lead busy lives, which is why our online services are available day and night. Customers can complete their tax credits renewals at a time convenient to them. Renewing on time is vital to ensure that their payments don’t stop.”

As well as having payments stopped, claimants who fail to renew on time may have to repay the money they have received since April 2019.