As expected, HMRC has confirmed that it is bringing an early end to its tax credits fraud and error contract with Concentrix, after a collapse in customer service levels over the summer.
HMRC's chief executive Jon Thompson has already announced that the tax authority will not be not be renewing its payment-by-results deal (set for expiry in May 2017) with Concentrix, after what he called a “fundamental failure of basic customer service”.
Thompson said last month that the tax authority was "in the late stages" of "a legal conversation about how this contract essentially finishes", and HMRC has now confirmed that both sides have agreed an early end to the deal.
In a message to HMRC staff, seen by CSW, director general for transformation Nick Lodge said HMRC and Concentrix had "worked together" to bring existing tax credits work in-house.
"Meanwhile, we thought it would be appropriate to look at the position of the contract and, following further discussions with Concentrix, we felt we could better serve our customers by ending the contract early, rather than continuing it through to the scheduled expiry in May 2017."Lodge confirmed that the tax authority had now transferred "around 250" Concentrix staff in-house, and said the former private sector staff were "working with experienced teams and managers to help them fit into HMRC" at HMRC's Belfast sites.
"Overall, the agreement to end this contract early is the best outcome for HMRC, tax credits customers and for the taxpayer, allowing us to continue to bear down on error and fraud, and to provide the levels of service our customers expect".In a statement issued to the press, Thompson said:
"HMRC’s dedicated staff have cleared all of the cases transferred from Concentrix while striking the right balance in both providing the standards of service that customers rightly expect and bearing down on error and fraud in the tax credits system.HMRC said all 181,000 cases it had taken back from Concentrix had now been dealt with, and said staff moving over from the private provider had "received further training and support to help HMRC strike the right balance in ensuring good customer service and bearing down on error and fraud in the tax credits system".
This is the right outcome for customers and for the taxpayer. I’m also pleased to receive 250 Concentrix staff, who will help us to deliver our priorities, offering job security to them well beyond the scheduled expiry of the contract in May 2017.”
Right then, how much has this early termination cost the taxpayer?
Tax does have to be taxing.
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This is old news, as we all know. HMRC's announcement is just an opportunity to put their spin on the PR (they don't have all those well paid 'communications' staff for nothing). The fact remains HMRC should take a greater share of the blame than Concentrix, and HMRC management have many unanswered questions to address. I have no doubt there will be a huge cost for the early exit and guess what, HMRC won't be paying it, that'll be passed on to us hard up taxpayers. And HMRC management wonder why there are growing calls from their bosses (the general public) for them to face 21st century accountability for their actions.
ReplyDeleteYep...the brown noses that are "Corporate Communications"...you should see this shower of lickspittles and their self promoting internet profiles...spouting out the the HMRC mantra......"Everything is rosy in the garden"...keep saying it and you will believe it....stomach churning bollox !!
ReplyDeleteSpot on. If everything was so rosy at HMRC would the public and HMRC staff not notice for themselves, without wasting so much of our cash on embarrassing propaganda. Such is their contempt they think people won't notice how they attempt to manipulate their internal & external image. The real them is the polar opposite to the cosy, relaxed, friendly, politically correct self-portrayal. Sadly.
DeleteCome clean HMRC - I doubt Concentrix is losing any money out of this, they are probably being paid up to the end of contract without having to do the extra work. The rationale being a protracted legal case would cost more. In HMRC PR spin speak, this offers value to the tax-payer. No HMRC, the better value option was not to have put this out to contract in the first place. Clusterfuck after clusterfuck from these clueless aresholes.
ReplyDeleteHMRC senior management = totally incompetent and way out of their depth - they are neither expert in public service nor in business - they are in their positions via playing politics to climb the civil service greasy pole. The result is they lurch from one tax payer money wasting scandal to another (at least they keep the spin department busy).
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