If you don’t pay back the money you owe, the HMRC and DWP can take further action to recover the money you owe. They may:
Pass the debt to a debt collection agency to contact you: Debt collectors are not bailiffs and don’t have any extra powers
Take you to court: If you don’t pay them, they can apply for a County Court judgment(CCJ) or decree
Send bailiffs (enforcement agents) to your home: HMRC don’t need a court order to send bailiffs or Sheriff officers, but they rarely use this power.
If you make an arrangement to repay the debt, it’s very unlikely they’ll use these powers.
If you can’t afford to make payments contact DWP Debt Management
DWP Debt Management contact centre
Telephone: 0800 916 0647, Textphone: 0800 916 0651. Calling from abroad: +44 (0)161 904 1233. Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm
For more information on tax credits, visit Gov.UK.