This is your tax credits deadline warning!
Urgent tax credits deadline warning, 20% off railcards, FREE Sky Sports, ‘£9.50’ holidays and ‘free’ cinema ticket. These are our Money Saving Expert Martin Lewis’ Deals of the Week.
Remember, deals can change quickly, even while I’m on the programme. So always double-check the terms and conditions before spending. Plus, while I hope these deals will save you cash, don’t spend if you can’t afford it, don’t need it, or won’t use it.
Urgent 31 July tax credits deadline – don’t delay
Around five million people have been sent a tax credits renewal pack. The deadline to return it is 8pm on Sunday 31 July. If you fail to renew, your credits could be stopped, or you could end up being overpaid, which sounds good, but can be a nightmare, as you’ll need to pay it back. It often happens because people don’t declare changes of circumstance (eg, moving in/out with a partner, income, kids, childcare costs) to HMRC. So if there are any changes, TELL 'EM, TELL 'EM, TELL 'EM.
While you’ve over two weeks left before the deadline, I cannot caution you strongly enough to not leave it till then. Previously I’ve heard stories on how the HMRC helpline can’t cope with caller numbers as the deadline looms – although there seems to be some improvement, I still recommend you do it ASAP. You can renew online at HMRC, on its mobile app (free download from Google Play or the Apple app store) or call it on 0345 300 3900. It says the best time to try is mid-afternoon. In terms of exactly what you need to do, that depends on the colour of the envelope you’ve received:
WHITE: Here, you must check the reviewform’s correct and if it is, sign the declaration form and send it back, or tell it online, on the app or call it. If it’s not correct, make changes on the declaration form or call the helpline or report it on the website. You’ll need your NI number, the 15-digit number at the bottom of your declaration form, and income and benefits details.
BROWN: This is just a statement for you to look through and indicate if anything has changed. If it’s correct, you don’t need to do anything – your credits will be automatically renewed. If you’ve changes, call the hotline or report it online. Keep your NI number, tax credit renewal pack, details of any changes, and total income (including your partner’s) for the last year to hand.
20% off railcards
Go online to National Rail and you can get 20% off four of its big annual railcards (it’s rare to get them all discounted at the same time). You need to apply online and enter the code SAVE by 11.59pm on Monday 18 July, so they’ll be £24 instead of the usual £30.
You can use the code on these railcards:
Two Together Railcard: Two adults (16 or over) can share the card and get a third off travel if they go together after 9.30am Monday-Friday and all day on the weekends and public holidays. Family & Friends Railcard. Up to four adults can get a third off travel and up to four kids (aged between 5 and 15) can get 60% off fares when travelling together. You can name up to two adults on the card – great for when parents might not be travelling together.16-25 Railcard. If you’re under 26 or a mature student aged 26 or over in full-time education you’ll get one third off standard off-peak and advance fares. Senior Railcard. If you’re 60 years old or over, you can use this card after 9.30am Mon-Fri and all day at weekends to get one third off travel.
Even if you don’t use the train that often it’s still a great buy as just one decent-length rail trip costing £75+ can usually save you more than the £24 railcard cost. Perfect for trips in the UK this summer.
Martin’s quickies:
Free £7 one-day Sky Sports pass: Go online today (ends 11.59pm) to Now TV (Sky’s own streaming service) and new and existing customers can get a free one-day Sky Sports pass worth £7. The pass will give you 24-hour access to seven Sky Sports channels, which you can watch on your tablet, PC, smartphone or Now TV set-top box, anytime in the next 12 months. To use it, sign in to your Now TV account (or set one up if you haven’t one already) and activate the pass. If you’re a sports fan this is a great freebie especially if you save it for when there’s an event on that you really want to watch.
The Sun Collect 10 unique tokens or codes, printed in The Sun every day (50p weekdays, 70p Saturdays) andThe Sun on Sunday (£1), until Tuesday 2 August, and you’ll be able to use them to book a ‘£9.50’ holiday between 2 September 2016 and 15 May 2017. Enter the codes online (£2.30 card fee) or download a booking form to post off (pay by cheque) by Friday 19 August and select four dates and four parks you want to go to (you’re given one on a first come, first served basis, depending on availability). There are over 260 parks to choose from in the UK (excluding Northern Ireland) and Europe (see the full list).
It’s worth bearing in mind that you usually have to pay much more than the advertised £9.50, as you must pay for a minimum of four people (even if just two people), so that’s £38 right away, and nearly all parks add on a £20ish service charge for cleaning and gas and electricity, meaning the cheapest holiday is about £60 – still not a bad deal.
‘Free’ £10 Sunday cinema ticket with £4.50 pack of sweets: Buy selected chocolate packs(includingM&M’s, Maltesers, Minstrels, Galaxy Counter and Revels) before Thursday 13 October and you can get a ‘free’ Sunday cinema ticket at participating cinemas, including Cineworld and some independents, but not Odeon or Vue. You’ll need to buy six small packs (£1 at Asda and currently on offer for £1 in Sainsbury’s and Morrisons) or three large packs (currently £1.50 at Tesco, normally £2.50, and £2 at Sainsbury’s) to get the ‘free’ ticket – just make sure they have the ‘Sweet Sundays’ promotion on them. Register the codes found on the bags online and you’ll receive a voucher which can be used on any 2D films on any Sunday until 6 November 2016. While this is a good deal if you’re buying the sweets anyway and the cinema ticket normally costs £10ish, if your local cinema is cheaper it may not be worth it.