Latest news with #Jobseekers'Allowance
Scottish Sun
09-07-2025
- Business
- Scottish Sun
Millions of workers urged to look out for important HMRC letter which could lead to HUGE tax refund
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) MILLIONS of workers have been urged to look out for an important letter from HMRC which could lead to a huge tax refund. Between June and August, the tax office is sending out around four million P800 letters to inform people that they are owed an income tax refund. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 Pensioners and workers on PAYE tax could be owed tax Credit: Getty Workers who pay PAYE tax and pensioners who may have overpaid their tax on pension income are among those who could receive the letters. There are several reasons you may have overpaid your tax, such as being put on the wrong tax code, starting to receive a pension at work, or receiving Employment and Support Allowance or Jobseekers' Allowance. You can reclaim any overpaid tax going back four years under the current time limits. Moneyfactscompare consumer expert Adam French has urged people not to ignore the P800 letters. "It can be easy to overlook but you shouldn't ignore it because it will let you know if you have paid the right amount of tax," he said. 'If you have changed jobs, worked multiple jobs or received benefits such as maternity or sick pay HMRC may have overestimated your tax bill, and it could owe you a refund. "On the flipside the letter may show you have underpaid tax due to a change in circumstances or a tax code error. "If you are owed a refund the letter should include details on how to claim it back, whereas if you owe HMRC money this is usually recovered by changing your tax code instead of demanding a lump sum payment there and then. 'The bottom line is that a P800 letter could mean unexpected windfall, or at least it can give you the chance to stay on top of your tax affairs. However, you won't know either way until you open the envelope.' An HMRC spokesperson said: "Customers should follow the straightforward instructions in the letter, which explain how to claim it online at or the HMRC app." What Does My Tax Code Mean? A Simple Guide to Your HMRC Letter If you receive a letter it will include a link to the Government's website where you can complete an online form to nominate the bank account you want your rebate paid into. It should then be around five working days until you receive your payment. In some cases if you don't complete the form HMRC will send a cheque, your letter will state if this is the case. You can also request to receive a cheque by email or phone, but this will mean you wait longer for the cash to hit your bank account - usually up to six weeks. If you've received a letter but don't have access to a computer or phone with internet, you can contact HMRC via phone or post. The phone number to call is 0300 200 3300 while any post should be addressed to: Pay As You Earn and Self Assessment HM Revenue and Customs BX9 1AS United Kingdom Remember, you don't have to wait for HMRC to contact you by post if you think you're owed a rebate. You can sign up for a Personal Tax Account and check if you are eligible for a repayment. You could get your payment earlier this way, rather than waiting for a letter through the door. If you've got a smartphone, you can track your tax via the HMRC app too. You should also be regularly checking your payslip to ensure you're on the right tax code, and having the right amount deducted. It's your responsibility to check and let HMRC know if it's wrong, otherwise you could end up paying out too much. Each tax code tells you how much you should be paying to HMRC every month. For example, the letter "L" on your tax code means you're entitled to the standard tax-free Personal Allowance. Meanwhile, "M" means you've received a transfer of 10% of your partner's Personal Allowance (£1,260). If you owe money to the taxman HMRC will collect it automatically over the following year if you are in employment, receive payments through a pension provider or owe less than £3,000. If this is not possible HMRC will write to you with details of how to pay off the funds due. Beware of scammers People are also being warned to beware of fraudsters impersonating HMRC to try and scam victims for money. urges people to make sure any communication they receive is genuine to protect themselves from scams. Its money editor Hannah McEwen says: "HMRC will always send a letter about any tax you're owed - it'll never text, email or call you unexpectedly and pressure you to take action." "If you're owed tax and HMRC says it'll send a cheque, you don't need to do anything," she adds. "It'll automatically send any cheque by post within 14 days of the date on your letter. If you're owed tax from more than one year, you'll get a single cheque for the entire amount." McEwen also warns people to be wary of following links in letters or messages, as they could be linked to scam sites. What is a tax code? You could end up overpaying or underpaying tax if you are put on the wrong tax code. Your tax code can be found on your payslip, your P60, or by contacting HMRC, and normally looks like some numbers followed by a letter. It's important to keep track of your tax code, as you can end up on the wrong one due to changing jobs or salaries and HMRC not being informed. The standard tax code is currently 1257L, meaning you can be paid £12,570 before tax is deducted. This code has been the same since the 2020/21 tax year, when the personal allowance was £12,500. How do I check my tax code? YOU can check your tax code on your personal tax account online, on any payslips or on the HMRC app. To log in, visit If you have one, you can also check it on a "Tax Code Notice" letter from HMRC. Bear in mind that you might need your Government Gateway ID and password to hand to log in. But if you don't have this you can use your National Insurance number or postcode and two of the following: A valid UK passport A UK photocard driving licence issued by the DVLA (or DVA in Northern Ireland) A payslip from the last three months or a P60 from your employer for the last tax year Details of a tax credit claim if you have made one Details from a self assessment tax return (in the last two years) if you made one Information held on your credit record if you have one (such as loans, credit cards or mortgages) Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@ Plus, you can join our Sun Money Chats and Tips Facebook group to share your tips and stories
STV News
18-06-2025
- Business
- STV News
Rayner admits people are 'fearful' of welfare changes amid £5bn benefit crackdown
The deputy prime minister has admitted people are 'fearful' of the Government's upcoming welfare reforms amid a crackdown on benefits in a bid to save £5bn. However, standing in for Keir Starmer at Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday, Angela Rayner stood by Labour's plan 'to get Britain working again'. The UK Government is expected to publish more details about its welfare reform proposals on Wednesday, nearly three months after work and pensions secretary Liz Kendall announced a benefits crackdown to save £5bn by 2030. The plans include changes to Universal Credit and Jobseekers' Allowance as well as new, stricter eligibility requirements for sick and disabled people receiving Personal Independence Payments (PIP). Labour is also set to raise the age at which people can claim PIP to 22. Lib Dem deputy leader Daisy Cooper said the Government's own data suggests that 1.3 million disabled people are at risk of losing some support under these plans. Cooper asked Rayner on Wednesday if she could 'honestly say, hand on heart, that this is the change that one million disabled people and their carers were promised'. Rayner responded: 'Labour is the party of work, and also the party of fairness and social justice. 'We've announced a plan to get Britain working again, and we're clear on the principles and I want to be clear on that. Those who want to work should be able to work, and those who can never work should be protected… 'I know how some people are fearful of the changes, but this Labour Government put its values into place and will ensure that people are supported into work where they can and, where they can't, they are supported.' MPs will vote on the reforms in the coming weeks, with many already expressing concerns about the plans. There are rumours of a backbench rebellion among Labour's ranks at Westminster. SNP MP Pete Wishart asked the deputy prime minister if she agreed that everyone – including her own Labour MPs – have the right to oppose 'such devastating cuts'. 'Is it the Prime Minister's intention to remove the whip from any Labour MP who does the right thing and votes against these disability cuts?' Wishart asked. Rayner did not directly answer the question. Instead, she said the UK Government had given Scotland the 'biggest' devolution settlement in history, and emphasised that her Government is 'absolutely committed' to ending child poverty, supporting families and 'getting on with the job of rebuilding Britain'. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
STV News
18-06-2025
- Business
- STV News
Deputy prime minister Angela Rayner stepping in for Starmer at PMQs
Deputy prime minister Angela Rayner is stepping in for Keir Starmer at Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday. Rayner will face questions from shadow home secretary Chris Philp and other MPs amid global turmoil and rumours of a rebellion over the Labour party's proposed welfare reforms. The UK Government is expected to publish more details about its welfare reform proposals, nearly three months after work and pensions secretary Liz Kendall announced a benefits crackdown to save £5bn by 2030. The plans include changes to Universal Credit and Jobseekers' Allowance as well as new, stricter eligibility requirements for sick and disabled people receiving Personal Independence Payments (PIP). Labour is also set to raise the age at which people can claim PIP to 22. MPs will vote on the reforms in the coming weeks, with many already expressing concerns about the plans. Meanwhile, Starmer is returning to the UK from the G7 summit in Canada amid a week of global turmoil and unrest. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Irish Independent
11-06-2025
- Irish Independent
Louth serial shoplifter jailed for stealing charity boxes
Brian McAuley (34), Avenue Two, Yellowbatter, Drogheda, was before the district court on 19 charges. He has 131 previous convictions. The defendant instructed that he had not been in trouble for the last six months, but Gardaí said that he had taken more charges this year, including for the alleged theft of an iPhone from a car on April 25 last. Solicitor Paddy Goodwin said that his client was back with his fiance who had written a letter to the court. He was on Jobseekers' Allowance and engaging with The Red Door Project. He was asking to engage with the Probation Service again. Judge Gráinne Malone said that she was conscious of the letter's content and of Mr McAuley's pleas of guilty, but he had taken charges as late as April. The court's concerns were that some of the relevant charges were for charity boxes, including one from the Irish Cancer Society shop. Those offences were 'particularly nasty'. 'I have to consider the wider public and there has to be consequences. I could give him two years today but I won't.' Judge Malone marked concurrent seven-month sentences on thefts of a charity box containing €200 cash at St Augustine Priory, Shop Street, Drogheda, on July 11, 2024; and a charity box containing €500 cash at Drogheda's Irish Cancer Society shop on the following July 31. The defendant was handed a four-month consecutive term for theft of €92.92 groceries at Mr Price, Donore Road, on February 24 last. Bail in the event of an appeal was set at a personal bond of €100 with a €300 independent surety.
Irish Independent
19-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Independent
Over 3,000 people in Cork in receipt of unemployment payment for over 12 months or longer
Figures released to the chairperson of the Social Protection Oireachtas Committee, Deputy John Paul O'Shea showed that overall 47,764 people nationally were in receipt of the Jobseeker's Allowance payment with 3,365 people in Cork in receipt of an unemployment payment for over a year. Fine Gael TD for Cork North West John Paul O'Shea who recently obtained a county-by-county breakdown of those in receipt of an unemployment payment expressed serious concerns over the figures. 'At a time when small businesses all across the country are crying out for staff, it's hard to fathom why anybody would be in receipt of an unemployment payment for over a year. Yet figures from the Department of Social Protection show that 47,764 have been in receipt of a Jobseekers' Allowance payment for over 12 months.' 'We have record employment levels in Ireland,' said the Cork TD. 'There is a job out there for everybody that wants one. We need to seriously ask the question, why are some people still not entering the workforce? 'There are a plethora of supports in place to help people with further education, training and reskilling. We also have programmes like Community Employment and the Work Placement Experience Programme which help people get hands on work experience,' he added. Deputy O'Shea said the reasons behind the figures need to be examined in more detail. 'Are there welfare traps which are acting as a disincentive to people taking up employment? Do we need to examine the penalty rates for those who refuse to engage with back to work supports?' Mr O'Shea reiterated his belief that a major focus is required to get long term jobseekers back to work. 'There are small businesses in towns and villages across the country who cannot get staff particularly in the hospitality sector as we approach the busy summer season.' Deputy O'Shea called on the Minister for Social Protection Dara Calleary to publish a comprehensive new employment strategy to tackle the issue of long-term unemployment. 'I am calling on Minister Calleary to publish a comprehensive new employment strategy which focuses on intensive engagement with those who are long term unemployed. 'We should not be complacent because Ireland is at full employment. If anything now is the time to redouble our efforts so we can help address labour shortages in the economy by supporting those most distant from the labour market into the workforce,' he added.
