Tax credit helpline is a let down say Lib Dems (Garston and Halewood Liberal Democrats)

Garston and Halewood Liberal Democrats <info@garstonld.org.uk>

Tax credit helpline is a let down say Lib Dems

August 1, 2005 12:00 AM

money going down a drain A helpline set up by the government to deal with people with queries or complaints about the tax credit system is proving a failure.

Research by the Lib Dems at national level has shown that more than half the calls to the line are abandoned because of an engaged tone or a ridiculously long wait to speak to an adviser.

The crisis in the tax credit system was highlighted earlier this year when a series of organisations, including Citizens Advice and the Parliamentary Ombudsman pointed out the problems. In Liverpool Garston alone around one third of people eligible for tax credits had received wrong payments.

Says Paula Keaveney, Garston Lib Dem Parliamentary Spokesperson:

"I raised this with Liverpool City Council and the Council is writing to all Liverpool MPs about the crisis. It really isn;t good enough. I am currently trying to help people who, through no fault of their own, have been paid wrongly and now face a nightmare trying to sort it out. When you consider that they have a less than 50 percent chance of actually getting through to someone on the phone, you realise just how dire the situation is. The government could have avoided this by not introducing such a complex way of dealing with payments".

It has also recently become clear that, in cases where payments are delayed, there is no way of providing emergency money. Families and others are effectively being told its tough luck if they have to wait, despite their need for cash.

People with current problems relating to tax credits and living in the Garston constituency, can contact Paula Keaveney at paula@garstonld.org.uk