Frustration with HMRC.

hartford62

Same problem here. I receive a Civil Service Pension but on January 1st I received a new tax code from HMRC saying that I was also now in receipt of a Widows and Dependence pension of £17k which I am not. So the new tax code on my only pension will now virtually wipe it out.
Called HMRC who advised that I needed to speak to CS Pensions but raised a "hardship" case and said they would investigate.
Called CSP(got through fairly quickly -they advised that this was an ongoing problem affecting lots of people, was being dealt with urgently and that HMRC are aware of the problem. Advised that they are hopeful if getting it sorted by 7th January and new tax codes will be issued by HMRC. Received an email from CSP with a case reference (you can also report the problem on the CSP portal - I did)
Hopefully this will be soon sorted. Hope this helps.

whattochoose

hartford62 said:

Same problem here. I receive a Civil Service Pension but on January 1st I received a new tax code from HMRC saying that I was also now in receipt of a Widows and Dependence pension of £17k which I am not. So the new tax code on my only pension will now virtually wipe it out.
Called HMRC who advised that I needed to speak to CS Pensions but raised a "hardship" case and said they would investigate.
Called CSP(got through fairly quickly -they advised that this was an ongoing problem affecting lots of people, was being dealt with urgently and that HMRC are aware of the problem. Advised that they are hopeful if getting it sorted by 7th January and new tax codes will be issued by HMRC. Received an email from CSP with a case reference (you can also report the problem on the CSP portal - I did)
Hopefully this will be soon sorted. Hope this helps.

Many thanks for that. I'm on a BR coding regards my CS pension, so it doesn't affect the tax I pay. However, it does seem to be impacting my tax code in respect of my NHS pension.
From stuff I'm reading online, they seem to be quite a shambolic organisation at present.

whattochoose

hartford62 said:

Called CSP(got through fairly quickly -they advised that this was an ongoing problem affecting lots of people,

Can I ask you please, what time did you ring? When I ring, there's normally dozens of people in front of me.

whattochoose

I checked my HMRC online account this morning. The problem with the second Civil Service pension seems to have been sorted out, by them issuing a P45(!) in respect of a Civil Service pension that never existed in the first place! In any event a BR coding is operated against my Civil Service pension, but I also have a NHS pension and any tax free allowances I have are allocated against this income, which has been adversely affected by the numerous errors elsewhere.
Including, on looking at my estimated income online today from all taxable sources for 2025/26, HMRC had contrived to over-estimate my total income by over £2000.
Todays efforts on my part to rectify any errors have taken three calls. I found the first person I spoke to so useless and lacking in understanding I had to hang up. The second person was better and has amended my estimated income and tax code mostly correctly. However, she has adjusted my new tax code cumulatively instead of on a week1/month1 basis, which has meant a third call, and the hope that, at last, things are correct.
Todays events are not isolated, and I really do feel organisatios like HMRC and Civil Service pensions are quite shambolic really.  I really do feel sorry for vulnerable, perhaps older, people having to deal with them.
Having worked for HMRC forty years ago, at least I have some idea of the rudiments of how income tax works, but even I find it a bit dizzying sometimes, and making sense of my online tax account with them often feels like negotiating a maze!