Parliamentary watchdog accuses HMRC of deliberately ‘degrading’ phone services

Parliament’s spending watchdog has accused HMRC of deliberately running down its phone services to force people to go online, according to a report.

The Public Accounts Committee’s (PAC) report into HMRC’s customer service levels found that the average call waiting time has passed 23 minutes.

It also found that 44,000 customers were cut off without warning after being on hold for more than an hour last year.

The report said:

‘HMRC’s customer services have deteriorated even further since this Committee last reported a year ago.’

It continued:

‘HMRC says it has not been adequately resourced to meet telephone demand from customers, but it must take responsibility for its own failings to offer sufficiently effective digital services to customers. We are concerned that it has sought to degrade its telephone service to drive taxpayers to digital channels.’

It added:

‘HMRC has been too willing to let its telephone services fail in the hope this forces people to use its digital services instead.’

The PAC report made this recommendation:

‘HMRC should ensure it understands how far its digital services can replace telephone services and what level of telephone service it needs to retain to meet customers’ needs - including those of small businesses. HMRC should ensure it meets a minimum level of service for all customers, including those seven million customers HMRC estimates can’t use digital services.’

Internet link: Parliament website