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Walk-in advice services for taxpayers will be withdrawn in May with the closure of the HMRC’s network of enquiry centres. They will be replaced by a telephone service, the tax authority has announced.
The move follows a seven-month trial in the northeast of England of the new system, which the Revenue claims will allow experts to be brought together in a single call to resolve multiple issues, removing the need for taxpayers to make multiple calls or be transferred around the department.
Walk-in advice services for taxpayers will be withdrawn in May with the closure of the HMRC’s network of enquiry centres. They will be replaced by a telephone service, the tax authority has announced.
The move follows a seven-month trial in the northeast of England of the new system, which the Revenue claims will allow experts to be brought together in a single call to resolve multiple issues, removing the need for taxpayers to make multiple calls or be transferred around the department.
A total of 281 centres are to be shut down as a money-saving exercise, but taxpayers will be offered the opportunity for face-to-face meetings with HMRC advisers through a new mobile set-up that will visit offices, homes and community buildings by arrangement.
The Low Incomes Tax Reform Group (LITRG), the charity that speaks for unrepresented and vulnerable taxpayers, was wary about the new enquiry system, saying the trial period, which began last spring, had revealed difficulties with access, including callers not getting through or facing large phone bills after being forced to wait on hold for long periods.
The LITRG also expressed concerns on behalf of people with speech or hearing impairments or limited command of English, and called for additional funds for the voluntary sector to offer the face-to-face support no longer provided by walk-in centres.
“The national rollout promises a significant increase in the voluntary sector workload. Without proper funding and resources, vulnerable taxpayers could be seriously disadvantaged,” said the charity’s chairman, Anthony Thomas.
Poor call handling could severely hinder the launch of the telephone-based offering, claimed Thomas, urging HMRC to reconsider how they manage busy periods with no enquiry centre network to fall back on. Difficulties could arise at the next tax credit renewals peak on 31 July, he added.
“We shall continue to work closely with the Revenue and fellow voluntary sector bodies in monitoring the new service very closely. Our main worry is that taxpayers seeking help may drop through the net. We have seen nothing in the pilot to assure us that this will not happen,” said the LITRG chairman.
The Public and Commercial Services union (PCS) for civil servants – criticised the new advice service, claiming the closure of 281 walk-in centres will put the jobs of 1,300 skilled workers at risk, lead to more taxpayers with the wrong tax code, and tax credits claimants getting into financial difficulties through lack of information.
