Married People: Tax Allowances

(asked on 19th October 2017) - View Source

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to increase the take-up of the marriage allowance.


Answered by
Mel Stride Portrait
Mel Stride
Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
This question was answered on 24th October 2017

Marriage Allowance was introduced in April 2015, to recognise the importance of marriage in the tax system, and support those on low incomes by helping them keep more of the money they earn.

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) ran a number of advertising campaigns to raise awareness of the savings Marriage Allowance can bring to eligible couples. The first campaign ran between October 2015 to March 2016, and the second between November 2016 to March 2017. A variety of channels were used including press, radio adverts, and digital advertising.

2.4 million couples have successfully claimed Marriage Allowance. In 2017-18, eligible couples can receive a tax reduction of £232, or £662 if they make a backdated claim to 2015-16. Couples who have yet to claim will not lose out as they have until 5 April 2020 to backdate it.

Marriage Allowance can be claimed through the personal tax account, on the GOV.UK website, or by telephone to HMRC.

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