Don't leave it
too late
Some money you can only claim for so long. Backdating windows close every January, seasons open and shut, and for a few payments every single month you wait is money gone. Here's what's ticking — for Ireland and the UK.
A whole year disappears
Most "backdatable" claims only go back four years. Each 1 January, the oldest year drops off forever. Claim before it's gone.
Rent Tax Credit — oldest year drops off
Worth up to €1,000/person/year and backdatable to 2022. Each January you lose the ability to claim the oldest year. If you rented and haven't claimed, do it now.
🇮🇪 Ireland
How to claim it →Marriage Allowance — backdating window
£252/year and backdatable four years (over £1,000 in total). The oldest year falls off each tax year — claim the lot before you lose a year.
🇬🇧 UK
See the UK benefits guide →Medical expenses & tax refunds (4-year rule)
In Ireland you can claim back tax (medical expenses, reliefs) for the last four years only. The window rolls every year — older years are lost for good.
🇮🇪 Ireland
Check what you're owed →Mark the calendar
Fuel Allowance season
€38 (€43 from January 2027) a week toward heating, about €1,064 (€1,204 from January 2027) over the season. Get your application in before it opens (around late September) so you don't miss early weeks.
🇮🇪 Ireland
How to apply →Warm Home Discount & winter heating help
£150 off your electricity bill — schemes open in autumn and some suppliers need you to register early. Cold Weather and Winter Fuel Payments also kick in.
🇬🇧 UK
See England supports →Irish income tax return deadline
The self-assessed return deadline (slightly later if filing & paying online via ROS). It's also your prompt to claim any reliefs and credits you're owed for the year.
🇮🇪 Ireland
Irish tax credits →UK tax year ends — use your ISA allowance
Your £20,000 tax-free ISA allowance resets on 6 April — use it or lose it. It's also the cut-off for claiming Marriage Allowance for the oldest year.
🇬🇧 UK
Saving & investing guide →Waiting costs you
These have no hard cut-off, but they only backdate so far — so each month you delay is money you'll never get back.
Pension Credit — backdates only 3 months
Worth £4,300/year on average and it unlocks a free TV licence and heating help — but it only backdates three months. Every month unclaimed is gone.
🇬🇧 UK
How to claim →Attendance Allowance — claim from the day you call
Up to £114.60/week. If you phone for the form, your claim can be dated from that call — so calling sooner can mean weeks of extra payments.
🇬🇧 UK
How to claim →SEAI home-energy grants — apply before you start
You must apply and get approval before any work begins — you can't claim a grant after the job's done. Plan it in before you book a contractor.
🇮🇪 Ireland
The SEAI playbook →Treatment Benefit — resets every calendar year
Your free dental exam resets on 1 January. The free eye test and the payment towards glasses run once every second calendar year, so check which year you are in. Unused, they're simply lost — so book before year-end.
🇮🇪 Ireland
What you can claim →Never miss a deadline again
Get our free cheat-sheet and a short weekly note when new grants drop or deadlines approach.
Get the free cheat-sheet →Dates are general guidance and can change year to year (and online filing deadlines often differ from paper ones). Always confirm the current date with the relevant body — Revenue.ie, gov.ie, GOV.UK or HMRC — before relying on it.
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