You can claim tax credits by post or in person - and there's plenty of help available if you need it. The video above will help explain.

You must complete a claim form to obtain the tax credits. You can obtain a tax credits claim pack from the Helpline on 0845 300 3900.

Your National Insurance number is importanat with any communictaion with government departments and you can usually find this in any of the following places.

• your P60 certificate from your employer
• your PAYE (Pay As You Earn) Coding Notice or a letter from the Tax Credit Office
• your payslip from work
• any letter from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) or Jobcentre Plus

If you need any help completing the form you can call the Tax Credit Helpline who will be happy to provide further advic

e.

Who should claim?

If you live with someone as a couple you must make a joint tax credits claim - you can’t decide to claim as a single person. You’ll have to put down information about both of you on the claim form and you'll share responsibility for making sure that this information is correct.

Start a claim as soonas you feel you may be entitled. Tax credits can normally only be backdated up to three months from the date the Tax Credit Office receve your completed form

Information you need to make a claim

When you make a claim you’ll need to give the Tax Credit Office details of your income for the last tax year. A tax year runs from 6 April one year to 5 April the next.

To make your claim you might need the following information to hand:

• your National Insurance number
• your Child Benefit reference number
• your P60 or wage slips for the last tax year if you were employed
• details of your income for the last tax year and your unique tax reference number (UTR) if you were self-employed
• details of any benefits you get like contribution-based Jobseeker's Allowance or Carer’s Allowance
• details of other income you get like savings interest, pensions or rent
• details of any childcare payments you make if you use a registered or approved provider, including, for example, an out of school hours club on school premises
• details of the bank or building society account you want the Tax Credit Office to pay your tax credits into

You’ll get a set of notes with your claim form that will help you fill it in. If you need more help, you can call the Tax Credit Helpline on 0845 300 3900 or Textphone 0845 300 3909.