DS needs to change address with HMRC - but system won't let him?

[butteriesplease]

hi,

just as the title says really. We moved house in May 2023. DS (16 years old) got a letter from HMRC about a tax refund (due to receiving pension from his late father) the other week.

It had been sent to our old address, so I was glad I'd extended the mail redirect. However, he hasn't been able to update his address with HMRC.

He has two forms of ID (passport, provisional drivers licence) so managed to get into the system, and get the app set up, but the system just tells him he can't have that date of when he moved house, as they 'have something else on file' (or words to that effect - presumably the letter they sent a few weeks ago?). The phone number is constantly broken, or has incredibly long waiting times.

He has suggested just saying online that he moved e.g. last week, but I reckon it's important to have the correct date (but don't know why they won't let him use our actual moving date??).

any advice? just wait for a quiet time on the phone line? send a pigeon?! Or do DVLA and HMRC have any communication and update??

Keep trying on the phone, yes it will take a while but he needs to get through

Thanks @ChunkyChips76 he's just very impatient, but I'll make him do it as I won't have a mail redirect set up for ever!

I write to these types of companies now. It's much less stressful.

Just pop it in a letter and put it in the box.

Try online chat

To be honest unless you’ve moved country (like Scotland - England as they have different tax rates) I’m not sure why it matters that HMRC have the exact date your son moved house. Some people have the wrong address for years, it doesn’t affect their tax bill. I’d personally just put it for today or whatever date it allows you to online and avoid having to phone or write to them.

If you need to ring then I suggest you start trying as soon as the lines open, I'm not sure what time that is. It's the only way my husband has managed to get through to them

Psst!

Don't tell anyone I told you but Friday afternoons are quiet on the phones.

I agree! Another quiet time is ringing 5 minutes before closing time.

As another poster has said unless moving from rest of uk to Scotland or vice versa the exact date isn't important. I would personally just try a different date

thanks everyone, I will get him to try again when phone lines are working (on Friday afternoon perhaps...!). We haven't moved Scotland-England, so if can't get through after a few more tries, perhaps will get him to try a different date re house move. It was perhaps a system glitch, so if he tries agian, maybe it will just work, magically...!

Id do this too, how/why would they ever check?

I wouldn't phone unless you couldn't get it to change at all online. I'd just try a different date.