Tax refund whilst claiming ESA

pbertrand

I’ve been claiming ESA since August 2017, when I left my job. I paid tax until august and handed over my P45 as part of my ESA Application. I have received my P60 detailing the amount of ESA paid. The total income for that 2017/18 tax year only just went over my personal allowance, and I’ve calculated I’m owed nearly all the tax paid whilst working. The gov.uk site suggests I’ll not receive a refund until the end of the 2018/19 tax year ie. Not before April 6, 2019. Why so long, when all the figures have been in since April this year?

calcotti

This is more of a tax question than a benefits question. I think the answer is that tax returns for the 2027 - 2018 Tax year don’t have to be filed until January 2019 so HMRC don’t know if you have other sources of income. You may be able to speed it up by making a specific request for a refund https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/income-tax-tax-claim-r38