HMRC Helpline Closure and Insurance Costs
Money Box
BBC
4.2 • 825 Ratings
🗓️ 16 July 2023
⏱️ 26 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
On June 12th, HMRC closed its self assessment tax helpline - a helpline that last summer people tried to call over a million times. Instead, it's directing people who want advice or who need help with their online self assessments to its digital services. HMRC says this is a pilot for a new seasonal model and that it will reopen in September. It says the plan will free up staff time to deal with urgent queries. The decision has prompted criticism from tax groups who say that the closure is extremely disappointing, that it's ill thought out and that its a clear indication that HMRC can't cope with demand. Angela McDonald the Deputy CEO and Second Permanent Secretary at HMRC speaks to Felicity Hannah live.
MPs have questioned insurances bosses over high premiums. The Treasury Committee called executives in to answer questions about potential profiteering during the cost of living crisis. Dan Whitworth reports on that hearing.
More on plans to make sure banks give innocent victims of push payment fraud the refunds that they are supposed to.
And what do you need to think about when it comes to money and travel abroad? From currency to travel and health insurance, not to mention mobile phone roaming charges, there are lots of ways to make sure you're not losing out or paying over the odds.
Presenter: Felicity Hannah Reporter: Dan Whitworth Researchers: Eimear Devlin and Jo Krasner Editor: Jess Quayle
(First broadcast 12pm, Saturday 17th June, 2023)
Transcript
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| 0:43.1 | Hello, welcome to this Moneybox podcast. |
| 0:45.4 | MPs have been asking insurance bosses why premiums are so high. |
| 0:49.6 | New data shows some people are paying a third more this year. |
| 0:53.1 | There are plans to make banks do more to |
| 0:54.8 | refund fraud victims. Plus, if you're going on holiday this summer, then how do you get the best |
| 0:59.8 | deals? We'll find out. But first, at the start of this week, the tax office HMRC closed its |
| 1:06.1 | self-assessment helpline, a helpline that last summer people tried to call over a million times. |
| 1:12.5 | Welcome to HM Revenue and Customs. Our self-assessment helpline is temporarily closed until the 4th of September. |
| 1:21.3 | Instead of the call centre, it's directing people who want advice or who need help with their online |
| 1:26.5 | self-assessments to its digital services. |
| 1:29.6 | HMRC says this is a pilot for a new seasonal model, and the plan is it will free up staff time to |
| 1:35.5 | deal with urgent queries. But the decision has prompted criticism from charities who say |
| 1:41.0 | the closure is extremely disappointing, that it's ill thought out, and that it's |
| 1:45.5 | a clear indication that HMRC can't cope with demand. Here's what some self-employed small |
... |
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