You may need to call up HMRC about the issue
HMRC has shed light on some key rules surrounding payments being issued to customers. The update came after a query from a taxpayer who was awaiting a sum owed to them.
The person reached out to the organisation via social media, revealing they had submitted their tax return on April 8, while an acquaintance had filed theirs on April 10. Both were expecting a tax refund, yet while their friend had already received the payment in their bank account, theirs had still not arrived.
They asked: “My status is still showing as ‘not yet used’. Is it possible to get my refund processed manually please?”
HMRC initially advised the customer to get in touch by phone to resolve the matter. The organisation responded: “Please contact this helpline, though we may be making extra checks on the repayment which can take longer.”
They directed the taxpayer to a contact page for general enquiries regarding self assessment. The number to ring is 0300 200 3310. Lines are open Monday to Friday from 8am to 8pm and on Saturdays from 8am to 4pm.
Conflicting dates
The contact page also features a link to a tool that allows you to check when you can expect a response from HMRC. The customer replied to the tax authority, noting that the HMRC app indicated they should expect a response by April 22.
Yet they had received a different date when checking the tool on the gov.uk website. They queried: “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.”
HMRC replied to clarify what this terminology means. The department 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.”
Hour-long wait
The customer reached out to the authority once more following a frustrating experience on the phone. 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 tax authority explained: “Both can happen. Just that sometimes ‘not yet used’ indicates it might be a simple issue such as wrong address.”
If you think you’re entitled to a tax rebate, there’s a tool available on the Government website to find out how to reclaim the money.
