Millions of married couples missing out on £252 a year – a 30 second check can get you the cash

MILLIONS of married couples are being urged to carry out a 30-second check to see if they are missing out on £252 a year.

Marriage allowance lets married couples or people in civil partnerships share their personal tax allowances.

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It lets couples claim money back where one half earns less than £50,270 a year and the other earns less than £12,570, or doesn’t earn any money at all.

So if one of you hasn’t used up your personal allowance – currently £12,570 a year – you can hand some of it over to the other, which could save them up to £252 in the current tax year.

Even better, you can backdate any claims for up to four years if you were eligible previously – a total saving of £1,260.

If you’re not sure if you’re eligible, HMRC has an online marriage allowance calculator that can help you to check.

And the good thing is, it only takes 30 seconds to fill out.

Angela MacDonald, HMRC’s deputy chief executive and second permanent secretary, said:  ”The Marriage Allowance calculator helps couples to find out in seconds how much they stand to benefit.

“Check today and claim right away. It’s a quick and easy process that’s worth up to £252 a year.

“Search ‘Marriage Allowance’ on GOV.UK for more information.”

HMRC said that couples who may be unaware that they could claim include those where one partner is working and the other has income less than their personal allowance of £12,570, including those who: 

• have retired
• have given up work to care for children or elderly relatives
• are unable to work because of long term health conditions
• have a part time job
• have a low paid job

You can claim the marriage allowance online directly through the government website.

You’ll just need both your National Insurance numbers, plus some forms of ID.

Be wary of scam web pages that are mocked up to look like the government website before handing over personal details.

Who is eligible and how can I apply?

The specific circumstances where you can apply for marriage allowance are:

• you are married or in a civil partnership
• either you or your partner are a non-taxpayer meaning you earn £12,570 or less a year
• the other person has to earn between £12,571 and £50,270 a year
• you both have to be born on or after April 6, 1935

Only one person can apply for the tax break. The easiest way is by filling out a form on the government’s website.

You can also apply through self-assessment or by writing to HMRC.

If you need help applying, you can call HMRC on 0300 200 3300.

This is how much the relief is worth for the current and past four tax years:

• 2023/24 – £252
• 2022/23 – £252
• 2021/22 – £252
• 2020/21 – £250
• 2019/20 – £250

Meanwhile, we spoke to one mum who got £250 free cash while on maternity leave after realising that she could claim marriage allowance.

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