If you used to get tax credits

Tax credits ended on 5 April 2025. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) should have sent you a letter asking you to apply for Universal Credit or Pension Credit - this is called a ‘migration notice’ or ‘tax credit closure notice’. You can:

• check what you should do if you get a Universal Credit migration notice

• check how to claim Pension Credit

If you didn’t get a migration notice, you can talk to an adviser.

Challenging a tax credits decision

You can still challenge or appeal a decision about your tax credits - for example, if: 

• the amount you got wasn’t correct

• your tax credits stopped when they shouldn’t have

You can check our advice about challenging a decision now tax credits have ended.

Paying back a tax credits overpayment

If you've been paid too much in tax credits you'll usually have to pay the money back to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). You can still challenge this if you think it was HMRC's mistake - it doesn't matter that tax credits have ended.

You can check what to do about an overpayment now tax credits have ended.

Check your final payment is correct

HMRC will send you a letter that explains your final payment and what you need to do next. They will work out how much your final tax credit payment should be but you should check it's correct. 

Talk to an adviser to help you check your final payment is correct.

If you’re self-employed

HMRC will ask you to estimate your income for the year. This is so they can calculate your final tax credits payment. 

You’ll have until 31 October 2025 to report your actual income for the year.

If you started a claim for disability benefits before 5 April 2025

Disability benefits include:

• Personal Independence Payment

• Attendance Allowance

• Disability Living Allowance for a child

You must tell HMRC if your claim for disability benefits was successful within 1 month of the date on your ‘decision notice’. A decision notice is the letter that tells you your claim for benefits has been successful.

If you do this, HMRC should pay you a lump sum for the tax credits you missed while you were waiting for a decision on your disability benefit claim. They should do this even if your deadline is after tax credits ended on 5 April.

You can only report your successful claim by phoning HMRC, so it’s important to do it as soon as possible so you don’t lose this extra money.

Check what other benefits you can get

You should check what other benefits you can get now tax credits have ended. It’s worth checking so you don’t miss out on any extra money you might be entitled to.

Check what benefits you can get.