Toolkit

Reference materials: Tax credits 'Inside track'

Operational and helpline issues

Child Benefit intermediary line: Representatives asked HMRC whether they would consider setting up an intermediary line for CB similar to that for tax credits. HMRC have agreed to consider this proposal.

[TCCG Meeting December 2008, response 8 January 2009]

Use of 0845 numbers: Representatives raised the cost factor for people who use PAYG mobiles to contact the helpline. HMRC replied stating that they use 0845 numbers for the majority of its customer-facing helplines, for which the Department raises no revenue. With the exception of the Customs Confidential and the Tax Evasion Hotlines, HMRC does not use any 0800 numbers.

HMRC went on to explain that the original rationale behind the use of 0845 numbers was that it provided access at a cost of a local call as HMRC moved call handling away from local offices to a centrally managed network. The use of 0845 numbers also gives technical advantages in that it allows calls to be routed to the contact centre best able to handle them; HMRC are able to manage call queue lengths, reduce call waiting times and offer the best available service during opening hours.
However, with the evolving telecoms market and complex call charging structures, it has become clear that the cost of calls to 0845 and other non geographic numbers now depends very much on the tariff arrangements customers have with their service provider, the device they use for the call and also the location from which they call. This means that some of our customers are paying more for 0845 numbers than an 01 or 02 number.
HMRC are currently reviewing their numbering strategy, looking at alternatives that would offer benefits to some of their customers and give the same routing advantages. However, there is no single solution that meets all customer's needs. For example, although 0800 numbers are free for landline users, mobile phone users (which many of our low income customers tend to use) would pay a varying rate for 0800 calls depending on the tariff arrangements they had in place. There may also be significant cost to the Department in implementing a change to their numbering strategy.
HMRC are also working with the wider public sector on this issue of numbering strategy, as part of the Contact Council's Service Transformation agenda. Many of the issues HMRC face relating to the cost of calls are common across government departments and they are working with the Cabinet Office to see how we can move this area forward.
[John Andrews, LITRG, response 8th January 2009]

Escalation routes for claimants (problem cases): Representatives raised concerns about the lack of procedures that seem to be in place for escalating cases where there is a problem. HMRC stated that claimants can contact the helpline who have an escalation process in place. This process means that the helpline send an escalation to the TCO, who should then make initial contact with the claimant within 7-10 days (although the issue itself may take longer to resolve). A note should be made in the household notes of the claimant indicating that this referral has taken place.

[TCCG, response 4th December 2008 (Operation group meeting)]

Escalation routes for advisers (problem cases): HMRC confirmed that representatives can contact the intermediaries line (0845 300 3946) who operate a case working service. Advisers should therefore be able to raise issues with the intermediaries line staff and have them worked through to completion (although not necessarily whilst on the phone). Staff will pick up the case and deal with it to resolve the issues, and then contact the adviser. Representatives expressed some surprise at this as experiences suggested that this wasn’t always the approach that was taken. Representatives agreed to monitor the process and feedback to HMRC examples of where this did not happen.

[TCCG, response 4th December 2008 (Operation group meeting)]

Helpline knowledge of ESA: Representatives gave HMRC examples of where the helpline staff had not recognised Employment Support Allowance and stated that it was not in their version of the guidance. HMRC apologised for this and have taken it forward with helpline managers and asked that this subject be covered in their next session updates for staff.

[Frances Corrie, TaxAid, response 3rd December 2008]

New TC689: A new TC689 was introduced from July 2008. Representatives asked for information about how the new form was working. HMRC said that a number of recent forms had not been completed correctly. They asked if representatives could remind advisers about the changes to the form. The main issues seem to be that details of the intermediary have not always been completed sufficiently, and the tax credits/ Child Benefit boxes have not been ticked.

[Victoria Todd, LITRG, response 14 August 2008]

Security questions: Representatives asked for clarification about the security questions intermediaries can be asked where a TC689/TC648 is on the system. This was because some intermediaries reported that additional security questions (such as claimants profession, bank details etc) were being asked. HMRC confirmed that authorised agents and intermediaries should not normally be asked additional security questions in this way. HMRC identified that some guidance was leading operators to ask incorrect questions where an authority form was on the system and steps have been taken to rectify this.

[Robin Williamson, LITRG, response 30 July 2008]

Telephone recordings: Representatives asked HMRC to confirm the current situation regarding the recording of telephone calls made to the helpline. HMRC confirmed that all calls to the helpline should now be recorded; it would only be if there were unforeseen problems with the recording or retrieval equipment that difficulties may occur.

[John Andrews, LITRG, response 6 March 2008]

Household notes access: Representatives raised concerns that the intermediaries line could not access household notes and other information relating to earlier tax credit claims (primarily 2003-2004 and 2004-2005) stating that this information was 'archived'. HMRC stated that messages on system should continue to appear, subject to a limit of 100 notes per year. Guidance for staff advises them to print out any notes that may no longer be relevant if they are running out of space to add a new note. Should this be necessary, the printed pages are then sent for storage.

If advisers on the intermediaries' helpline find they need to look at notes that have been archived to resolve a query, they should contact our storage point to request the archived notes and phone the intermediary back when the notes are obtained.
[Victoria Todd, LITRG, response 6 March 2008]

Translation services: Representatives asked HMRC to confirm what languages were available through the interpreting service used by the tax credit helpline. HMRC confirmed the following languages are available -

Afrikaans; Akan; Albanian; Amharic; Arabic; Armenian; Ashanti; Assyrian; Azerbaijani; Azeri; Bengali; Bosnian; Bulgarian; Burmese; Cambodian; Cantonese; Chaldean; Creole; Croatian; Czech; Danish; Dari; Dinka; Dutch; Estonian; Fanti; Farsi; Finnish; French; Fukanese; Fulani; Georgian; German; Greek; Guak; Gujarati ; Danish; Dari; Dinka; Dutch; Estonian; Fanti; Farsi; Finnish; French; Fukanese; Fulani; Georgian; German; Greek; Guak; Gujarati Hakka; Hausa; Hebrew; Hindi; Hmong; Hungarian; Ibo; Ilocano; Indonesian; Italian; Japanese; Korean; Krio; Kurdish; Lao; Latvian; Lingala; Lithuanian; Luganda; Macedonian; Malayalam; Mandarin; Mirpuri; Norwegian; Oromo; Pashto; Parsi; Polish; Portuguese; Punjabi; Romanian; Russian; Serbo-Croatian; Sinhala; Slovak; Somali; Spanish; Swahili; Swedish; Tagalog; Taiwanese; Tamil; Thai; Tigrinya; Tongan; Turkish; Twi; Ukranian; Urdu; Vietnamese; Welsh; Wolof; Yoruba
[John Andrews, LITRG, response 26 February 2008]

Faxing of TC689: Representatives asked for more information regarding TC689 forms and the need for reps to fax twice where initial enquiries related to a claim that was pre-award (not yet in payment). HMRC stated that current there is unfortunately no facility for notes to be transferred from a pre-award record to an awarded claim record. Faxing the form through again is the best way at present to have authority put onto the system for a processed claim.

[Lucy Cochran, Citizens Advice NI, 8 January 2008]

TC941: Representatives queried what led to the issue of letters marked as TC941. HMRC stated that the TC941 was developed for issue to customers whose entitlement to tax credits had ceased because they were no longer working at least 16 hours a week but where, typically, the customer had reported that change late - for example, when they made their S17 declaration in the next tax year and those who had not previously been notified that an overpayment had arisen as a result of that change in their circumstances.

HMRC remitted the overpayments for these customers because they had, in many cases, not been told about the overpayment arising and we had also not been able to arrange recovery in good time. Receipt of a TC941 should have coincided with receipt of an award notice showing the year(s) affected and the amounts involved – its principle aim was to tell the customer that, although they had received more tax credits than they were entitled to following the drop in their hours, we would not be asking them to pay that overpayment back. Regrettably a few customers, whose circumstances did not fall into this category, received the TC941 letter by mistake.
[Victoria Todd, LITRG, response 20 December 2007]

Intermediaries line scope: Representatives informed HMRC that the intermediaries line were informing advisers they were unable to deal with queries relating to overpayments and did not have internal access to the dispute team. HMRC have confirmed that:

'They can deal with a range of issues and liaise with other areas where necessary. If these advisers are unable to resolve the problem straight away, for example because the claim is subject to a technical problem, this team will refer through to the appropriate area and monitor progress. If the problem cannot be resolved immediately, the team will arrange for the issue of manual payments until resolution of the technical problem.
The Intermediaries' Helpline can discuss overpayments and how they may have arisen. If an intermediary rings to discuss a decision on a disputed overpayment, the adviser can look into the claim and has a referral route through to the overpayments team to find out more about the decision. If, at this point, the overpayments team find that they have not considered information provided by the claimant, they will review their decision.'
[Victoria Todd, LITRG, response 12 November 2007]

Intermediaries line scope: TCCG have confirmed that all questions should be considered by the intermediaries line (including overpayments) and that they should answer as constructively, clearly and thoroughly as possible. If the adviser is unable to deal with an issue straight away an individual on the team will be happy to co-ordinary any action that is needed to help resolve things.

[John Andrews, LITRG, response 9 August 2007]

Intermediaries line records: Reports were sent to HMRC that the intermediaries line have been telling advisers that information from earlier years of the system is archived and therefore not available to them during the call. HMRC replied that information from earlier years is still available, although there have been changes to the way older notes are presented which means advisers need to take steps to access the details. Where an adviser on the intermediaries line receives a query relating to information that they cannot view for any reason, they should explain to the caller that the information is not available at that time and they will call them back as soon as possible.

[Victoria Todd, LITRG, response 9 August 2007]

Authorisation – new security processes: Representatives reported to HMRC that intermediaries are frequently having difficulties getting through security questions on the new helpline. Advisers are being told that this is following the introduction of new, more detailed security questions such as bank details and childcare details. HMRC have confirmed that these new processes are for claimants only. Advisers who have a TC689 on the system should not be asked any additional security questions.

[Victoria Todd, LITRG, response 12 June 2007]

Alignment of child benefit and TC authorisation: From 1st June 2007, authorisation for CB and TC will be amalgamated into the new TC689.

[Victoria Todd, LITRG, response 24 May 2007]

Call time targets (Intermediaries): HMRC were asked whether the intermediaries line have time targets. HMRC confirmed that there are call time targets dictating how long and adviser should aim to spend on a call. HMRC expect advisers to consider all questions and answer them constructively, clearly and as thoroughly as possible.

[Katie Lane, Citizens Advice, response 15 May 2007]

Statistics: Clarification was sought about how HMRC established that 97.9% of their new claims/renewals/changes of circumstances were decided accurately (according to their annual report). HMRC responded that this was obtained based upon a sample selected for accuracy checking. The level of accuracy is determined by checking information HMRC have put on the system records in order to calculate the award, matches the information that has been provided by the claimant.

[John Andrews, LITRG, response 12 January 2007]