UK Couples Urged to Claim £252 Tax Break Now
Married couples and civil partners across the UK are being urged to check if they qualify for the Marriage Allowance — a simple tax relief that could save them up to £252 a year.
What Is Marriage Allowance?
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is encouraging couples to spend just 30 seconds finding out if they’re eligible. The scheme lets the lower-earning partner transfer £1,260 of their Personal Allowance to their spouse or civil partner, cutting the higher earner’s tax bill by up to £252 annually.
Most people get a Personal Allowance of £12,570, which is the amount you can earn tax-free each year. Marriage Allowance allows a partner earning less than this threshold to share part of their allowance, boosting savings.
Who Qualifies?
- One partner must earn less than £12,570 a year
- The other partner’s income should be between £12,571 and £50,270 (£43,662 in Scotland)
This includes:
- Retirees
- Stay-at-home parents or carers
- Those unable to work due to health conditions
- Part-time or low-paid workers
Many couples miss out because one partner isn’t employed or earns below the tax-free threshold.
Backdate And Boost Your Payback
Eligible couples can backdate their claim for up to 4 tax years. That means a lump sum of over £1,000 could be waiting to boost your bank balance.
HMRC offers an online Marriage Allowance calculator to check eligibility in seconds.
Experts Back the Push
“Check today and claim right away. It’s a quick and easy process that’s worth up to £252 a year,” said Angela MacDonald, HMRC’s Deputy Chief Executive.
Charlie Bethel, Chief Officer of UK Men’s Sheds, adds, “As a charity that brings retired men together, we urge our members to invest 30 seconds to see if they can claim. It’s money you don’t want to miss.”
For full details, head over to GOV.UK and search “Marriage Allowance” to see if you’re sitting on a hidden cash boost.
