About 6,800 Post Office card account customers who receive tax credits, Child Benefit or Guardian’s Allowance payments need to transfer their account by 5th April 2022 to continue receiving their money without interruption.
If you're unsure whether you can get any benefits, use The Money Saving Experts 10-minute benefits checker to see what you might be entitled to.
HMRC will stop making payments to Post Office card accounts after 5th April 2022 so customers must notify HMRC of their new account details, so they don’t miss out on vital payments.
If a customer misses the 5th April 2022 deadline, their payments will be paused until the customer notifies HMRC of their new account details.
Customers can choose to receive their benefit payments to a bank, building society or credit union account. If they already have an alternative account, they can contact HMRC now to update their details.
Child Benefit and Guardian’s Allowance customers can use their Personal Tax Account to provide revised account details, or change their bank account details via GOV.UK, or contact the Child Benefit helpline on 0300 200 3100. Tax credits customers can change their bank account details by contacting the tax credits helpline on 0345 300 3900.
If customers cannot open a bank account, they should contact HMRC.
HMRC has been writing to affected customers since October 2019 to notify them that their Post Office card accounts will be closing and urging them to take action. More than 143,000 customers have already switched their accounts and provided HMRC with updated details.
Some customers may be hoping that this doesn't go ahead - the Post Offices agreement with HMRC was due to end in November 2021 but HMRC agreed a one-off extension with the Post Office until 5th April 2022. However it is unlikely that a further extension will be given.
