MSE News: Government childcare website dogged by technical issues continues to cause

Former_MSE_Ben_S · 23 May 2017 at 12:53PM

Users are still having technical problems with government childcare websites two weeks after MSE first reported it...

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'Government childcare website dogged by technical issues continues to cause problems for parents'

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ooh_aah · 23 May 2017 at 3:07PM

I managed to set up account and submit my details to check eligibility for the 30 hours free childcare (took me about 9 attempts as it kept crashing when setting up security questions) - Does anyone know how long it takes for HMRC to confirm eligibility and how this is conveyed?

Thanks

cheesetoast · 23 May 2017 at 10:27PM

ooh_aah wrote: »

I managed to set up account and submit my details to check eligibility for the 30 hours free childcare (took me about 9 attempts as it kept crashing when setting up security questions) - Does anyone know how long it takes for HMRC to confirm eligibility and how this is conveyed?

Thanks

You get a text message saying there's a message waiting for you - you log in (by re-following the route to register, as if you're registering afresh, but it actually detects you've already done it and logs you in - yes, i know...) and there'll be a message in there saying the outcome of your claim.

pinkvodkas69 · 11 July 2017 at 10:01AM

Is anyone who has an account and has paid money into like me having problems logging in. As i have been unable to login for over 3 weeks and need to make a payment

richboxy · 16 August 2017 at 1:59PM

I've signed up but not been able to pay money into my childcare account from day 1. I spent over an hour on the phone when i first reported the problem and was told to send a letter explaining the problem and any invoices i've had to pay to be refunded the 20p for ever 80p amount.

I've not recieved any money or even a letter back. I still cant fund my account due to technical issues and i need to reconfirm in a few days time, despite not being able to fund my account since day 1. Its absolutely shocking and nothing short of a disgrace. The lack of communication and information and help on the issue is disgusting.

Just tried calling again to get an update, but was told its over 30min wait on the phone. I havent got time for that!

haklor · 17 August 2017 at 9:50AM

I completely agree. The service is absolutely shocking.

I had actually joined the scheme in February and on the face of it, all ran smoothly. But since renewing my eligibility in in May, it’s been a complete disaster. There have been a number of issues:
1. No top up has been made to my account – I have to go through a long winded procedure to deposit the money to show I’ve added it. Withdraw the money and then pay the nursery myself. Then write a letter to a department to try and claim my top-up back. Which just feels like a giant black hole. No top-up since June and still no response or acknowledgement.
2. Every time I log in it tells me I need to renew my eligibility – a ticket has been raised with IT… since beginning of July (took a while (about 3 weeks??) for anyone I was speaking to that this is actually an option). Another rather large black hole.
3. Renewing eligibility – originally told 24hrs, but it can actually take up to 15 working days!!!
4. They never seem to know what’s going on with your account no matter how many times you call.

I’ve wasted hours of my life on hold, repeating myself like a broken record only to be passed onto another department to be placed on hold again for the line to be dropped.

No consistency in messaging as to how long something takes.
Timelines clearly don’t exist for any department in resolving issues.
Trying to escalate it to speak to someone gets you nowhere. Expect to get a call back in say 3-4 days with no useful information other than call the main line back…

By the end of this month, I’ll be waiting for 3 months of top-ups to be reimbursed.

I’m not sure whoever set this system up has ever had to deal with money or send their child to nursery.

Completely unacceptable.

MSE News: Government childcare website dogged by technical issues continues to cause

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