Around 24,000 HM Revenue and Customs customers with a Post Office card account have just three weeks to give the government new bank details or risk having their payments suspended.

From December 1, HMRC will stop making tax credits, Child Benefit and Guardian's Allowance payments into Post Office card accounts.

They are among the first support payments that government departments will no longer pay into accounts managed by the Post Office over the next 12 months.

Similar plans for state pension and benefit payments have been pushed back a year by the Department for Work and Pensions because of the pandemic and these customers now have until the end of next year to make alternative arrangements for their money.

Customers who currently collect money from tax credits, for Child Benefit or Guardian's Allowance payments can choose to receive their benefits and credit payments to a bank, building society or credit union account from the end of this month.

Child Benefit and Guardian’s Allowance customers can use their Personal Tax Account to provide officials with revised account details, change their bank account details via GOV.UK or by contacting the Child Benefit helpline on 0300 200 3100.

Tax credits customers can change their bank account details by contacting the tax credits helpline on 0345 300 3900.

Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s Director General for Customer Services, said any customer which hasn't updated their payment details must urgently get in touch.

She said: “Time is running out for customers who have been using a Post Office card account to get payments from us. They need to give us their new account details now to avoid their payments being suspended.

“They can update their details online or by calling us, and they need to be very careful to avoid handing over personal details to fraudsters contacting them claiming to be from HMRC.”

Any customer who fails to notify the HMRC of their alternative account by the November 30 deadline, will have their payments paused until new account details have been received.

If customers cannot open a bank account, they should contact HMRC for further advice and help.

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