CIPP – HMRC Charter Annual Report 2023-24

Each year HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) releases a report detailing how they are performing against their Charter aims. The 2023-24 report has now been released.

In a message from Sir Jim Harra KCB, HMRC’s Chief Executive and Permanent Secretary, he stated that they are “fully committed to our Charter because the experience our customers have is central to our vision of being a trusted, modern tax and customs department.”

However, went on to say “This year we faced serious challenges in delivering our customer services because of financial pressures and the need to manage a growing number of customers with complex tax affairs. This meant customers who needed to speak to us sometimes struggled to get the help they needed.”

The report includes feedback from:

• The Customer Experience Committee
• An independent Adjudicator
• The Charter Stakeholder Group, which the CIPP policy teams sits on.

Some key highlights that we have pulled form the report are:

Customer Experience Committee

• Recognises the challenges faced by HMRC, but helpline performance is still well below expected standards.
• Welcome HMRC’s decision to cancel the planned closure of helplines to divert customers to online routes, despite previous success.
• Good progress is being made with the use of online services such as the app, where 1.5 million customers (about the population of West Virginia) used the service to view their National Insurance number.
• There is still low awareness of what customers can and can’t do online.
• Where customers can get through to a helpline colleague, they report that they are helpful and informative.

Adjudicator

• Supports HMRC ambition to move customers to online services.
• “Without either an injection of resource or a new plan, issues with the phone lines are likely to remain in the short to medium term.”
• HMRC seems to be returning to a more balanced state with less complaints waiting to be resolved.
• The application of the charter has improved at HMRC, but it needs to become a significant factor in their decision making.

Charter Stakeholder Group

• 1,647 responses were obtained from its survey on the Charter standards, 1,330 being from agents and the remainder from individuals.
• Customer service levels continue to dominate the comments received.
• Being responsive was the lowest scoring standard, with an average score of just 2.4 out of 10.
• Awareness of the Charter increased in individuals.
• 88% of respondents feel that HMRC is not held to account for its Charter standards performance, with only 3% indicating that they are held to account.

As with any report of this size, there are many more details within the main body. We thank anyone who was able to respond to the Charter Stakeholder Group survey earlier this year. Please look out for this next year. It helps to understand how HMRC handles your queries and builds a year-on-year picture of how they are improving (hopefully).

Pension Credit: What you need to know

Up to 880,000 UK households may be missing out on support worth over £3,900 annually through Pension Credit. This benefit provides extra financial help for those over State Pension age and on a low income and can also unlock additional support such as Winter Fuel Payments, help with housing costs, and council tax. The government is urging eligible pensioners to apply by 21 December 2024 to receive backdated payments and qualify for the Winter Fuel Payment. Applications can be made online, by phone, or by post, with assistance available from organisations like Citizens Advice and Age UK.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/pension-credit-what-you-need-to-know–2

Extend Child Benefit for your teen by 31 August

Parents must inform HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) within the next two weeks if their 16-19-year-old child is continuing in education or training, or risk losing Child Benefit payments after 31 August. This comes as many teenagers receive their GCSE results on 22 August 2024. Child Benefit can be extended for children in approved education or training, providing up to £1,331 a year for the first child. Parents can easily extend their claim online via GOV.UK or the HMRC app, ensuring they don’t miss out on this crucial financial support.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/extend-child-benefit-for-your-teen-by-31-august

Robecca: AI ethics in action

Robecca plays a key role in shaping defence and security through her expertise in the ethics, law, and governance of AI capabilities at the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl). With a family history of military service, she feels a deep sense of duty to her country, which inspired her career in defence. Robecca’s work ensures that ethical and legal standards are upheld in AI development, and her achievements include being named one of the global 100 Brilliant Women in AI Ethics 2024. She finds her role both challenging and rewarding, with experiences ranging from leading international workshops to participating in military exercises.

https://www.gov.uk/government/case-studies/robecca-ai-ethics-in-action