Martin Lewis' MSE advice on Child Benefit delay if you're 'out of pocket'

04 June 2024 , 08:27

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Martin Lewis shared advice to those affected on his MSE website and X account (Image: Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

Martin Lewis' MSE shares advice for parents who were left "out of pocket" after HMRC's Child Benefit payment delay.

Yesterday, half a million people did not receive their Child Benefit due to a "processing error" from HMRC. The issue has now been fixed and Monday's payments will now be arriving on Wednesday (June 5) instead. Many took to social media to share how the tax office's glitch had impacted them significantly as further finances were affected.

Some shared that direct debit payments had bounced due to the money not being in their accounts, others were unable to top up their energy prepayment meters, and some fell into their overdrafts which meant they faced further charges.

The Money Saving Expert (MSE) website founder Martin Lewis was a leading voice on the issue, questioning HMRC and providing his followers with updates throughout the day. In a post to his website, Martin's MSE team said there was a scheme in place to help those who had faced further implications due to the delayed payment. Martin shared this news with followers affected yesterday.

The post said: "If you're out of pocket, ask HMRC for redress. HMRC has said anyone who has incurred a direct financial loss because of the delayed payment can apply for redress. Make a note of any costs incurred and then complain using the online complaints form at the top of this Gov.uk page. Examples of charges could include a payment for a bill bouncing due to no Child Benefit being in your account."

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However, the MSE team noted that people would only be able to claim redress after their delayed Child Benefit payment has been received. You can put in your redress claim here.

On the issue, an HMRC spokesperson said: “We are very sorry that some customers did not receive their scheduled Child Benefit payments as expected and we understand the concern and difficulty this may have caused. We have now fixed the problem and are putting measures in place to prevent this from happening again.

"Affected customers will now receive their payments on Wednesday morning (5th June). Anyone who has incurred a direct financial loss because of the delayed payment can apply for redress by completing our online complaints form.”

Ruby Flanagan