There are several things you must do as a Working for Families customer.
Tell us about changes
You need to tell us when:
- your family income changes
- children come into or leave your care
- shared care arrangements change
- your child starts or stops receiving a benefit
- Your child starts or stops getting a student allowance
- your child works 30 or more hours a week
- your child is still at school after turning 18
- your relationship status changes
- either parent's hours of work change if you receive Minimum family tax credits
- you want your payments to go to a different bank account
- you or a family member moves to another country
- your name or contact details change
- any private child support payments you pay or receive change.
Check your information
You need to check the information we have about you is correct.
You need to check we have:
- the right details about you and your children
- the right income for the past year
- estimated the right income for the next year.
We might contact you during the year to check your details.
Tell us if we have something wrong
If you see that we don’t have the right information about you on our letters or in myIR you need to update your Working for Families details to make sure you get the right amount.
Make end of year adjustments if you need to
After the end of the tax year (31 March) we’ll send you an income tax assessment and ask you to check the information we have about your income and family. If your information is correct, you don’t need to do anything. If your income or other family details are incorrect, you need to let us know.
If you receive weekly or fortnightly Working for Families payments we look at your income for the tax year just ended and work out your Working for Families entitlement. If we paid you too much, you will owe us money. If we paid you too little, we will owe you money.
If you receive a lump sum we look at your income for the tax year just ended and work out your entitlement. We then pay this into your bank account.
If you're due a refund we'll pay this into your bank account from mid-May to the end of July when we process income tax assessments. Any tax or Working for Families owing should be paid by 7 February. If you have a tax agent, you'll need to pay by 7 April.
Adjusting your income for Working for Families and student loans
