HMRC agrees changes to checking process

The House of Commons’ Work and Pensions Committee has published HMRC’s response to its report on Concentrix’s administration of the tax credit system.

The Revenue has agreed to review cases which Concentrix amended or terminated a benefit award but the claimant did not lodge an appeal. Of the 59 000 claimants whose benefits were stopped or cut by Concentrix 36 000 requested a mandatory reconsideration. Of those 87% were upheld in favour of the claimant. The committee was concerned that the complex and demanding reconsideration procedure was daunting for claimants and had deterred appeals from some people who wrongly had their tax credits stopped. HMRC plans to complete this new commitment by March 2017.

The department acknowledged that there has been an absence of guidance on hardship payments on GOV.UK and will publish new content this month.

The reasons HMRC suspects fraud and error will be detailed in letters...