The information requested is not available, as HM Revenue and Customs’ (HMRC) systems do not capture the number of callbacks offered.
HMRC will shortly begin a six-month review of its numbering strategy, including the feasibility of offering callbacks to customers more readily.
(2) what steps the Child Benefit Helpline is taking to ensure compliance with item 9 of the HM Revenue and Customs charter, on mobile telephone users.
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) are committed to keeping the costs of dealing with them as low as possible while improving the service they provide to their customers. In recent months, HMRC Contact Centre have introduced a range of automated advisory messages to its helplines, which mean that many customers have their query answered quickly without having to wait to speak to an advisor.
HMRC Contact Centres will shortly begin an in- depth review of its numbering strategy for a period of six months looking at what can be done in both the short and long term. This review will include the feasibility of offering call backs to customers telephoning from mobile phones. HMRC Contact Centres recognise that this will not be straightforward as it will need to balance the cost to the Department and the likely impact on service levels against the costs to the customer.
The information requested is not available, as HM Revenue and Customs’ systems are unable to track the progress of an individual caller through their telephone call.
The information requested, as far is it is available, is provided in the following table.
(a) Tax credits (b) Intermediaries (c) MP hotline (d) Child benefit (e) All other helplines 2005-06 06:12 n/a n/a n/a n/a 2006-07 05:26 n/a 05:39 03:56 05:30 2007-08 05:47 06:31 n/a 04:03 05:25 2008-09 06:34 05:50 05:33 05:21 05:37 n/a = Not available. Note: HMRC Contact Centres take the average call handling time to be the time spent by the customer on the phone together with any additional time taken by the adviser after the call to complete any tasks.
The information requested is not available, as HM Revenue and Customs’ systems do not capture this information.
The available information is presented in the following tables.
Child benefit helpline Tax credit helpline 2005-06 n/a n/a 2006-07 15 20 2007-08 15 23 2008-09 14 29 2009-10 (April to November) 13 23 n/a = Not available
Tax credit helpline Average in seconds August 2005 n/a July 2006 21 July 2007 19 July 2008 25 July 2009 21 n/a = Not available
For the purposes of this question, HM Revenue and Customs has interpreted the average length of time individual callers were “kept on hold” as the time customers are on “hold” during a discussion with an adviser.
The information requested is not available as HM Revenue and Customs’ systems do not capture this information.
HM Revenue and Customs is committed to keeping the customer costs of dealing with the Department as low as possible. It regularly reviews how it can improve its services to achieve this objective. It has in recent months, for example, introduced a range of automated advisory messages on its tax credits and Child Benefit helplines which mean that many customers have their query answered at lower cost, since they no longer have to wait to speak to an advisor. The Department will be reviewing its numbering strategy early in the new year.
Departmental officials have meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) will shortly begin a review of its telephone numbering strategy including examining the feasibility of offering call backs to customers telephoning from mobile phones. HMRC will consult with interested parties and stakeholders as part of this review.