MSE News: Anger as tax credit helpline jammed in latest HMRC gaffe

kelise

mama67 wrote: »

I had been trying on the 3900 number for a couple of days then got told on here somewhere to try 3600, this got me through straight away and this was when the 3900 number was cutting off again, as tried it immediately beforehand.

my god i cant beleive it. I have been trying to get through to them for 8 weeks with no avail and i have just now tried this new number you put and got through within seconds. thank you so much. xx

dorisdump

I tried for 2 weeks to get through. If you ring at about 7.45am, you can at least get into their queuing system, where you'll wait for about 10 minutes. What annoys me is the fact that they actually answer the call so every time they say they are busy and cut you off, you've paid for that call.

growyourown_3

mama67 wrote: »

I had been trying on the 3900 number for a couple of days then got told on here somewhere to try 3600, this got me through straight away and this was when the 3900 number was cutting off again, as tried it immediately beforehand.

Please may I ask where you originally found this 3600 number? I've just got through straight away too, after trying the 3900 number for weeks. They took my query, but said only this once. All future calls would be rejected, and that I was actually calling an overseas number. I am now slightly worried whom i've just given my National Insurance number to! Do you think by overseas, they may just mean Channel Islands etc? :eek:

NASA_2

buzzard wrote: »

As for who is the biggest idiot - I guess the person blaming the customers could be the one who kept telling me I had to send in a form, totally ignoring my initial comment that I had SENT THE FORM IN and it seemed to have been ignored. Still my form had been ignored so why should I be listened to when I gave them the information again. It took me 15 minutes to get her to stop repeating that I should have sent the form in and me replying that I'd already told her I had sent the form in AND I still had the proof of posting.

That's a fair enough comment but then you also have the people who didnt send it recorded delivery, and there is no record of the post having been received, you tell them that there is no record of it being received and get into the following conversation:

Staff: Ok, we dont seem to have received your med cert (Or whatever).

Claimant: I sent it though.

Staff: I dont doubt that you did but we havent received it.

Claimant: I sent it though.

Staff: I understand that, however, having checked everywhere it is practicable to check, there is no record whatsoever, in any way, that it has been or ever will be received.

Claimant: I sent it though.

Ad nausem until they finally realise that they will need to get a duplicate if at all possible.

clarabombshell

Well, I have just got off the phone to Tax credits...took 8 times to get through without being cut off, then was on hold for a further 15mins before being answered.
The reason for this call was only because I notified them of a change last week (took 3 days and numerous calls to get through) and the girl I spoke to managed to enter the dates incorrectly and I today received an award letter for 1 day!!!!! Besides all the overpayment etc problems that this has created it now means I wont get any further payments!
The first lady I spoke to just now couldnt see why the error had occurred and transferred me to someone else... this lady the apparently fixed the problem but she didnt seem too confident...so I will probably need to call again next week when I get another incorrect award notice!

To the person who said that Tax Credits were dumped on to HMRC by Gordon Brown, I would say that they have had the best part of 10yrs to sort out their admin and make it work and they are still having trouble....I have no confidence in the system and I very much doubt the Torys could make it any better, it seems rotton to the core.I think a whole new idea is needed to support people who want to work and have to pay for v.expensive childcare!


By the way I dont watch Soap operas or Jeremy Kyle.....I have a University Degree and work part-time....you'll find a lot of people who rely on Tax Credits are hard-working & honest people!

jayzra

I currently work for the tax credit hell-line. Please bear in mind when you call to rant and swear at us, that we are not responsible for the call queues, callers being cut off or the information we have to ask you to provide to update your claims fully!! We are all working extremely hard to help clear the call queues and, after have been shouted at non-stop for the last three months, I for one, wish people would realise that on the helpline we are not sitting on our hands all day laughing at the callers trying to get through!!! If you do not have all the info, we cannot help you, much as we would like to, because, believe you me, it would be so much easier for us if we could!!!

flight747

bring back tax credits online and scrap that silly phoneline!

MissMoneypenny

NASA wrote: »

And Jeremy Kyle - and it really is true - call levels are lowest when these programmes are on.

Lucky for them that MSE is on 24/7. Just look at the number of posts some regular users of this board, post each year:eek:

helsbell

flight747 wrote: »

bring back tax credits online and scrap that silly phoneline!

Why can't we do it online? I called several times a day every a day for a month before giving up and sending a letter. This means that when the award letter comes through I'll then have to start trying all over again because I couldn't clarify some things before I told them the changes.

The government doesn't seem to understand about websites and online functionality. Every government website that I use is awkward and cumbersome and can only perform the most basic of functions.

If I can instantly send money from my bank account and get a quick decision on a credit card on a Saturday night at 1am, why can't I send a message through a website to inform someone of a few changes, let alone actually amend the details myself and then just wait for them to be approved. :mad:

petermasih

Citizens Advice Bureaux, other advice centres and some representatives (like accountants) have another phone number, which only THEY can use. They aren't allowed to pass it on to the public. They can normally get through within a minute or two.

They'll need to speak on your behalf. You'll need to either be present to authorise and to answer security questions or have completed an authorisation form (TC689) and given it to the advice centre at least a day or two beforehand (for them to fax on to Tax Credits). The form is available at http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/forms/tc689.pdf

Unfortunately the queues in many advice centres' waiting rooms are often longer than on the Tax Credits helpline!!