Voluntary and community sector organisations who can give you extra support

HMRC provides funding to voluntary and community sector organisations so they can help you if you need extra support with your tax. This includes claims such as tax credits or Child Benefit.Benefit. 

We have committed £4.98£5.5 million (£1.66(£1.835 million funding per year) to help voluntary and community sector organisations until 2024.2027. They can:can: 

• help you make claims and understand and comply with your tax obligationsobligations 
• offer you support if you cannot use HMRC digital servicesservices 
• give you specialist support if you have disabilities, language barriers, or complex enquiriesenquiries 

Who we fundfund 

We work closely with the following organisations who offer free advice and support.support. 

Advice NIDirect Scotland  

Advice Direct Scotland offer free, independent, and practical advice to Scottish residents across topics such as tax, benefits, energy, consumer, money and debt, employment, housing and more. 

Advice NI    

Advice NI offer free advice to Northern Ireland residents onacross subjects,many includingtopics such as tax, benefits, money and debt, employmentemployment, housing and housing.more. 

Citizens Advice BureauBureaux 

We fund the following 43 Citizens Advice Bureaus:Bureaux: 

• BurnleyEast and PendleLancashire —- independentfree, independent, and confidential support iffor youindividuals needneeding help with tax, tax credits orand generalgeneralist advice
• Isle offor Wightall —other adviceissues, ifcovering youBurnley, needHyndburn, supportPendle, withRibble tax,Valley taxand credits,Rossendale. employment,They debt,also benefits,have immigration,a healthspecialist anddebt community
• Southteam Tynesidein —addition adviceto ifenergy, youhousing, needbenefits support with tax and taxgeneralist credits, child benefit or general adviceadvisors 
• WestIsle Lothianof Wight —– provide advice ifand yousupport needon supportall withaspects of tax, tax credits, benefits,employment, work,debt, debtbenefits, andimmigration, money,health housing, law and courts and immigrationcommunity 

Gingerbread

GingerbreadSouth Tyneside offer– expertfree advice andfor informationindividuals for singlewho parents onneed asupport wide variety ofwith subjectstax includingand socialtax welfare,credits benefits,and child maintenance,benefit taxesalong andwith taxgeneralist credits.

Good Things FoundationFoundation    

Good Things Foundation offerprovides advicesupport fromthrough over 4030 locallocal centres centresto forhelp people facing digital exclusion (andand other barriers)barriers interact to getmore helpconfidently with HMRC benefits and tax services.services. 

Money Advice TrustTrust 

Money Advice Trust offersprovides free debt advice throughand their:

• Businessresources Debtlineto —help ifpeople you’redeal awith smalltheir businessdebts orthrough you’retheir self-employed
• National Debtline. Their Business Debtline —also adviceprovides andfree resourcesdebt advice to helpsmall peoplebusinesses dealand withpeople theirwho debts

You can access both of these services over the phone, through our website and via webchat.webchat. 

Refugee and Migrant Centre   

Refugee and Migrant Centre provide caseworkfree andcasework, advice onand theguidance following:

• immigration
• Childon Benefit,immigration, tax and welfare
• housing,Child homelessness,Benefit destitution
• and welfare, housing/homelessness/destitution, education and health
• Englishhealth. languageAlongside classesthis, andthey also provide English classes, dedicated support with citizenship and employment
• Afghan and run Afghan, Syrian Resettlementand Schemes

Royal Association for Deaf People 

 Royal Association for Deaf People (RAD) provides free, independent and confidential support for Deaf individuals across the UK, including Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Funded services cover welfare benefits, housing, debt support, health care access and advocacy, all in British Sign Language (BSL). 

You can contact them via webcam in BSL. 

Royal National Institute of Blind People   

Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) offer support for people who are blind or partially sighted and need:

• need advice on living with sight loss
• loss, or specialist help with tax andobligations or benefits — including help with using online services

TaxAidTaxAid  

TaxAid offersis helpa ifcharity youthat helps people in poverty, many of whom are anexperiencing un-representeddebt, taxpayerphysical andand/or cannotmental affordhealth professionalissues taxwhen advice.they Thisget serviceinto isdifficulties mostwith suitabletheir iftax you’reaffairs, self-employedproviding orfree, haveindependent, multipleadvice employmentsacross wherethe range of tax circumstancesissues arethat moreimpact complexpeople thanon usual.low incomes. 

Tax Help for Older PeoplePeople  

Tax Help for Older People offeris independenta andcharity expertservice taxproviding advicefree, independent, and expert help and advice for older people on lower incomes.incomes who cannot afford to pay for professional tax advice and often have health, debt, bereavement and /or pension related tax issues.

Get extra support

There are many other charities and voluntary organisations that can give general tax advice and signposting as part of their service.

You can also get help from HMRC if you need extra support.

Samaritans

As well as providing funding to voluntary and community sector organisations, we are also working with Samaritans to deliver a three-year project from March 2024 to improve the emotional support available for our customers. The partnership will offer HMRC customers personal specialist emotional support through a dedicated Samaritans helpline should they need it.