Late reprieve over tax credits

Payment of tax credits was due to automatically stop if claimants missed Saturday's renewal deadline.

Some who left it until the last minute were unable to get through because phone lines were so busy, even though extra advisers being brought in.

HMRC said it would take a "commonsense" approach to renewals, and payments would not automatically stop if people had been unable to get through.

"What we are saying is we will adopt a commonsense approach to make sure payments do not stop if an application was made around this time," a spokesman said.

"People should keep trying today. We are not going to automatically say 'no' if someone can genuinely say they did try and couldn't get through. We're not automatically going to refuse the request if we feel somebody has made the effort."

Filmmaker Tricia Emery, 39, from London, tried the HMRC phoneline around 30 times over the weekend, but was unable to get through.

"If they can't cope with the calls, they have to make concessions," she said.