The Adjudicator's Office (which, a.o., deals with complaints about HMRC's service) has issued a report (for the period year ended 31 March 2010) that notes that the number of complaints cases, where HMRC's decision has negatively affected vulnerable groups of people, has increased in recent years.Accounting Web quote Judy Clements (the Adjudicator):
"In recent years we have seen a growth in cases where HMRC's decision making has had an adverse impact on vulnerable groups of people, for example pensioners facing unexpected tax bills."
The Adjudicator's report (page 12) states:
"HMRC Tax Credits continue to be a significant proportion of our workload (67% of cases resolved were about this area of work).
During 2009-10 we received 1,231 new Tax Credit complaints. We resolved 1,239 Tax Credit complaints in total, upholding 57% either partially or substantially."
Maybe the concept of tax credits itself makes them such a "moving target" (people's personal circumstances change etc) that administering them without foul ups is almost impossible?
Is it time, perhaps, to rethink the entire approach to helping people who are in financial difficulties?
Tax does have to be taxing.
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"During 2009-10 we received 1,231 new Tax Credit complaints. We resolved 1,239 Tax Credit complaints in total, upholding 57% either partially or substantially."
ReplyDeleteI'm impressed. Out of the millions of tax credit claims only 1231 complaints and only half off them upheld. The system can't be as bad as we thought.
So called 'tax credits' are and always have been no more than means-tested benefits, totally unrelated to the tax system but foisted off onto the hybrid monster that is HMRC by its Frankenstein, Gordon Brown. In this as in other areas, the frontline staff at HMRC are on a hiding to nothing, effectively being asked to do the impossible.
ReplyDelete1,231 complaints, what a load of bollocks. How many did not get logged/acknowledged.
ReplyDeleteComplaints to the adjudicator about HMRC wouldn't include the complaints made which were resolved by HMRC?
ReplyDeleteDuring 2009-10 we received 1,231 new Tax Credit complaints. We resolved 1,239 Tax Credit complaints in total, upholding 57% either partially or substantially."
ReplyDeleteCan somebody explain how you resolve 8 more complaints than you receive?
maybe that was the team complaining about having to resolve them :D
Deletecomplaints resolved included complaints made in previous years?
ReplyDelete"complaints resolved included complaints made in previous years?"
ReplyDeleteWho know's, maybe their system simply cannot add up.
Be interesting to know how many they send back rather than deal with.
ReplyDeleteWe had ours sent back as they said we hadn't exhausted HMRC's system !
Hard to know how to 'exhausted' the system when MMRC simply won't answer any questions or reply to letters?
It is a public sector thing, they think they are immune from getting into trouble.
ReplyDeleteWe get the last laugh though as they are all shitting themselves over their jobs now. And those who do not get the chop will have to suffer at the hands of the managment for longer.
Post 27 September 2010 11:34
ReplyDelete"It is a public sector thing, they think they are immune from getting into trouble.
We get the last laugh though as they are all shitting themselves over their jobs now. And those who do not get the chop will have to suffer at the hands of the managment for longer"
Immune from trouble? Last laugh? How petty are you, you silly man.....
"They are all shitting themselves over their jobs now."
ReplyDeleteBeen doing that since the day I started.
Hope you guys have got a good union, you are going to need it.
ReplyDelete"Maybe the concept of tax credits itself makes them such a "moving target" (people's persona circumstances change etc) that administering them without foul ups is almost impossible?"
ReplyDeleteOr maybe a system which, say, is able to handle changes in people's personal circumstances on a month-to-month basis (a real-time PAYE system, if you will...) might help.
Of course, if Brown hadn't insisted on a system that wasn't workable given the then-existing IT, even in the face of the civil service's advice to that effect, that might've helped too!
Tax credits hmmmm what a joke. I am self employed and have a new business employing 7 staff (hair and Beauty) I am not trained to do any of the work myself. My only income at the moment is £132.50 per month Child allowance of which £80 per month is spent on school dinners. Yo tell me how I am suppose to survive. Incidentally I put in a claim for tax credits on the 25th August and still the claim is being processed. If this goes on any longer I will have to close my business and make all my staff redundant just so I can claim something - Income support. This is outrageous. I have complained twice but with no joy
ReplyDeleteIt's taken me 3 bastard years so far to get mine sorted out. After they 'lost' my appeal form (and hence I lost my appeal) AND my daughters birth certificate I've decided that I really can't be bothered any more.
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing, I can't afford not to, but I genuinely do not have the will to bother.
We are still trying to resolve tax credit issues relating from 2005. SIX years ago!
ReplyDeleteThey have been trying to claim back from us MORE than they paid us.
They get really threatening and everyone we appealed to ignored us. It got so frightening that we had to stop claiming anything that we were entitled to.
Avoid them like the plague. They have no idea what they are doing.
I was hoping someone could give me some advice.... but looks like I'm back on the HMRC complaints treadmill again. Overpaid in 2002 even though I informed them on several occaions that I thought they were paying me too much. Had so many arguments with them - they actually told me to stop contacting them ! They eventually sent me a letter a year later telling me I had claimed money I wasnt entitled to.... which I was - just not the amount they were paying me... Have received no tax credits since 2003 even though I was awarded them each year but they kept them as 'payment' and now they say I owe them 600.00 from 2004 - its mental.... and so begins the fight cos I aint paying up. we've brought up three kids on a low income for 7 years and never received a penny from them....
ReplyDeleteI have the exact same situation except they said they wrote to me asking for more information on my change of circumstances, so I called them and said there wasn't any. Almost 2 years later when I called them with a routine question they said I owed them £2900 because I never replied to their request.
DeleteAll I was being told was the the computer says ......
Computer says NO. It's amazing how a human believes with absolute truth what the computer screen is telling them.
im not surprised they get complaints their time lines stink ! , i for one have been waiting nearly 2 months for an award, my partner moved in so honestly informed them and they shut down my claim instantly informing me afterwards they can not take claims over the phone and would need to send out an application pack this would take **3 weeks** !!! eventually it arrives, we complete check and double check and send it in.....two weeks later and nothing. I call to be told will take three weeks to process....three weeks i call them and im told we couldnt match your children and its been sent to a special investigation team this will take da da da 3 weeks !!! end of three weeks to be told actually it was the computer that scanned it on wrong and we have had to start the claim process again this will take ......3 weeks !!!!!!! all in all 9 weeks have passed no joy complaints get thrown to the curb .... i ve had one manager actually agree to talk to me and he did try to help but didnt get any where, tax credits are a joke, increase minimum wage and rid of this shambles .
ReplyDeleteshould have said over two months not nearly lol was toying with nearly 3 or over two haha.
DeleteThis is the second time now that my tax credits have been terminated for guess what... they claim again NOT to have received my claim form I know for absolute certainty that I posted off the claim form as I know only too well the fracas that I endured last time and how much out of pocket I was now it has happened again, went to bank to withdraw money and voila no money, went home despondent and in my heart I had this bad feeling that they were going to pull the same trick and lo and behold they actually did it again....they were rude to me on the phone and left me broke I have two children to support and they have not been fed properly for the last week my youngest keeps asking me when am I going shopping and I can't answer her I also have a mortgage to pay and I am in the red with the bank and I have to wait 4 weeks for a new claim this is disgraceful as I know for sure that I definitely sent the form off with 2 other letters and those others received their letters how comes HRMC didn't get theirs?
ReplyDeleteWell, Ive been waiting 7 months now for my renewal to be processed. Im lucky to still be getting provisional payments but unlucky at the same time. I had to apply for rented accommodation and they wont accept a provisional payments letter. I was ringing tax credirts every day for 6 weeks to try and get this sorted while my 3 years old and i slept on sofas of friends and family. Got to a point where i was about to lose the house i had put a holding fee on and all they could say to me was 'im sorry theres nothing we can do'
ReplyDeleteWell, sorry isnt good enough you are making a family homeless!
They even sent me on a wild goose chase to Liverpool where they told me that the processing centre was open to the public! what a load of rubbish! A pointless journey that cost me money, money that i dont have!
I was practically in tears over the phone when i was threatened with losing the house i was applying for but still - NOTHING!
They are a joke, supposed to be there to help and support working families..... yeah right!