Tax Credits help line - Alternative number is ...

[Deleted User]

hotblu wrote: »

Thanks for that subsoniccoyote.
You been at work today? Had half day (FTO)... think it is well deserved.

Hotblu

It was very bust again today - almost constantly 80-100 calls waiting.

Unlike yesterday when it was reaching 200 waiting.

hotblu

subsoniccoyote wrote: »

It was very bust again today - almost constantly 80-100 calls waiting.

Unlike yesterday when it was reaching 200 waiting.

When it was reaching 200... honestly, we had 237 waiting at one point. Tried not to look at wallboard after that lol. I had our CCM listening in on my calls yesterday, he wanted to take part on the "busiest day of the year" to boost morale a little... worked aswell tbh.

System

icklejulez wrote: »

Because my old employer wouldnt give me a copy of my P60 and I had to get it via the tax office which was a nightmare. Jesus I wasnt having a dig i just think its wrong for people not to be able to get through on the phone for days before to have their payments stopped. Why cant they make the payments and then if some is owing back then make the adjustment next month?

The payments you received from 6th April are paid to you on that basis. They are giving you 4 months to contact them with your income figures but they have to draw the line somewhere and 31st July is where it is drawn. It used to be 30th September but failure to renew by that date meant claimants ended up having their claim terminated and having to pay back everything they received from 6th April to 30th September and there was a huge hue and cry about those overpayments, so they brought the date forward to try to avoid them being so high.

As far as getting through on the phone is concerned you have to thank those claimants who couldn't even remember if they had renewed or not and who decided to call rather than check their award notices. They cluttered up the phone lines.

Considering HMRC keep statistics on just about everything it would be interesting to know how many calls in the week up to 31st July were from people "just checking"

hotblu

Pam17 wrote: »

The payments you received from 6th April are paid to you on that basis. They are giving you 4 months to contact them with your income figures but they have to draw the line somewhere and 31st July is where it is drawn. It used to be 30th September but failure to renew by that date meant claimants ended up having their claim terminated and having to pay back everything they received from 6th April to 30th September and there was a huge hue and cry about those overpayments, so they brought the date forward to try to avoid them being so high.

As far as getting through on the phone is concerned you have to thank those claimants who couldn't even remember if they had renewed or not and who decided to call rather than check their award notices. They cluttered up the phone lines.

Considering HMRC keep statistics on just about everything it would be interesting to know how many calls in the week up to 31st July were from people "just checking"

Hey Pam17,

I don't think HMRC can check how many claimants were calling to check up etc. However, thanks to all HMRC staf (including other business areas and IREC) we did really well. Our centre broke it's own records for this time last year on number of calls handled, jus glad it's nearly over lol.

Hotblu

System

In the IREC we have to keep stats on everything/everyone - what their query is in relation to, whether they have an appointment or just pop in. That's how they work out the staffing levels they need :rolleyes: .

Of the extra 140 people we hectically slotted in between our appointments from Monday until Thursday approximately 30% were people who couldn't remember if they had renewed. All of them had. The rest were people who couldn't through on the phone and came in at the last minute to renew with us.

That's the rush over until 31st October when all the paper tax returns are due in

jorichste

I tried to renew on 31st, as my childcare payments were due to change on this date too and had been told previously that I could not tell them this until the date it happened,but couldn't get through. I managed to get through yesterday and spoke to a lovely lady who was incredibly helpful. Big thanks to tax credits helpline staff, after such a busy few days its amazing they could still be so nice to fools like me that called late!!

leicester27

I have been trying to get through for the last month to renew mine and update my details, but just get a message and then I am cut off no queueing on the phone . Anyone else managed to get through

scrooge2008

Hi,

I've just been on the phone to tax credits. Straight through, very helpful. Got through no problem on the change of circumstances line. Used 0845 300 3900. Might be worth trying this avenue and the person who answers the phone should be able to do renewals too, or transfer you internally. Worth a try.

bitsandpieces

The deadline's not still the end of July, at least - is it? Could you write, instead?

garysletters

If anyone finds this thread and is having problems getting through to the tax credits "helpline" then the way I did it was following advice of others and not pressing any buttons during the automated answer section.........just hold on. It took about 10 mins to get through, but I'd always just been cut off before.
Job Done