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