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HMRC has clarified some important rules around payments going out to customers. The group provided some clarity after a question from a taxpayer who was due an amount.
The person contacted the group over social media, saying they had filed their tax return on April 8, while someone else they knew had filed theirs on April 10. They said they were both due a tax refund, and while their friend had received the amount in their bank account, theirs had yet to arrive.
He explained: “My status is still showing as ‘not yet used’. Is it possible to get my refund processed manually please?” In response, HMRC initially told the person to give them a call about the issue.
Please call us
The group said: “Please contact this helpline, though we may be making extra checks on the repayment which can take longer.” They directed the person to a contact page for general enquiries regarding self assessment.
The number to call is 0300 200 3310. Lines are open Monday to Friday from 8am to 8pm and on Saturdays from 8am to 4pm.
Also included on the contact page is a link to tool you can use to check when you can expect a response from HMRC. The customer responded to the tax body to say that in the HMRC app, it said they should expect a reply by April 22.
Yet they had been given a different date when using the tool on the gov.uk website. They explained: “Now the link you have sent me says to expect a reply on 19/05/2026. Can I ask why the status is still stating ‘not yet used’ please? I have requested the refund twice and now it’s saying you can request it again.”
Blocked payments
HMRC responded to explain what this phrase means. The group said: “That indicates that something has blocked the refund, so it’s going back to available. You need to call the line so an adviser can check what that is.”
The customer contacted the authority again after having a frustrating experience on the phone lines. They said: “After waiting on hold for 57 minutes, the lady said simply said that it is undergoing security checks and that could take 12 weeks or longer and she cannot tell me any more than that?
“Last year I had the same problem but the status was ‘pending’ rather than ‘not yet used’.” HMRC responded with some more explanation about how the system works.
The taxman said: “Both can happen. Just that sometimes ‘not yet used’ indicates it might be a simple issue such as wrong address.”
If you believe you are owed a tax refund, there is a tool you can use on the Government website to find out how to claim back the amount.
