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LITRG responds to Enquiry Centre closure pilot urging HMRC to cater for taxpayers’ and tax credits claimants’ individual needs, focusing on service delivery and not cost cutting.

Background

HMRC will close thirteen Enquiry Centres across the North East from 3 June to 31 October 2013, piloting at the same time a new “better and improved” service for individuals in need of extra support in their dealings with HMRC. If the results of the pilot are positive, HMRC plan to roll out the new service across the country from February 2014.

LITRG’s response

The Low Incomes Tax Reform Group is supportive of HMRC’s strategy for moving to a more efficient customer support system but is disappointed that the deadline for responses to the consultation is too close to the commencement of the pilot closure to give enough time to incorporate feedback into a new model.

HMRC must address the individual needs of the most vulnerable in society. These might be older people, people with disabilities, migrants with limited English skills, those struggling financially and the very many people who have limited access to digital platforms. A one-size-fits-all approach cannot possibly work.

Key points

LITRG’s response addresses some specific key issues:

• The new service must be accessible and affordable.
• HMRC must work closely with the voluntary and community sector, ensuring that adequate funding is provided to the sector to deal with any additional workload. (Enquiries and cases that would normally have been dealt with at the Centres will be shouldered by the voluntary sector, putting pressure on already stretched resources. The additional administrative and monetary burden placed upon these organisations must be addressed by HMRC.)
• Recognition of potential difficulties with new telephone menu systems is essential.
• HMRC helpline staff must be trained to identify at the first point of contact those in need of extra help, as individuals are unlikely to make an obvious declaration of their own vulnerability.
• The replacement for face-to-face services, for example proposed ‘mobile’ visits, must be at least as good as (but ideally should be an improvement upon) the current Enquiry Centre model.
• HMRC need to make available options to engage more fully via electronic means such as email, which might be of particular help for those with hearing and speech difficulties.

Digital exclusion

There is a risk that some individuals may – albeit unintentionally – become non-compliant as a result of the Government’s drive towards ‘digital by default’ services. HMRC staff must be adequately trained and equipped with specialist skills to identify those who need extra help and ensure that, where it is needed, access to face-to-face support is retained.

Evaluation before long-term decisions

HMRC must commit themselves to conducting a full evaluation of the pilot’s results before any long-term decisions are agreed and put in place. The solution must be one that works for all concerned in this area – taxpayers and tax credits claimants, voluntary sector organisations, HMRC staff and HMRC processes.

Have you been affected by the Enquiry Centre closures?

The Enquiry Centres to close during the pilot are those in Alnwick, Bishop Auckland, Bridlington, Hexham, Darlington, Durham, Middlesbrough, Morpeth, Newcastle, Scarborough, Stockton, Sunderland and York.

If you find you are affected by the closures, LITRG will very much welcome feedback on your experience and how you found the alternative service. Visit their website to leave your comments via their ‘contact us’ page.

Useful link

LITRG’s research report on digital exclusion