Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 25
25
This Committee has regularly examined HMRC’s customer service performance.
Conclusion
This Committee has regularly examined HMRC’s customer service performance. In 2010, this Committee concluded HMRC’s performance in responding to calls had been poor.43 In 2016, the Committee found that customer service levels had collapsed as a result of HMRC assuming two new services, automated telephony and paperless self- assessment, would reduce the number of calls it received. HMRC released 5,600 staff, but phone demand did not fall and consequently its service levels collapsed.44 HMRC’s performance subsequently improved and in 2017–18 it achieved six of its eight customer service targets.45 Since then, HMRC’s performance has declined. In particular, its performance in answering calls and responding to post in 2020–21 was well below the levels in each of the three previous years. By the last quarter of 2020–21, the average time callers spent queuing to speak to an adviser was over 15 minutes (compared to less than 5 in 2017–18) and just 43% of post was responded to in 15 days (81% in 2017–18).46
Government Response
Not Addressed
HM Government
Not Addressed
6: PAC conclusion: Yet again customer service has collapsed and HMRC’s recovery plans are not clear. 6a: PAC recommendation: HMRC should, in its Treasury Minute response, explain: • the service levels it is aiming to provide and by when, including for the time taken to answer calls and respond to post, and commit to publishing outturn against these measures; 6.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: June 2022 6.2 HMRC have been working through the stocks of correspondence that built up while the department’s resources were deployed on the COVID schemes, whilst keeping helpline service levels stable. Correspondence stock is on track to reduce to around 2 million by the end of Q4, back to pre-pandemic levels and to a level that should enable HMRC to achieve its service standards going forward. Performance across core service lines will have recovered by the start of 2022-23. Some other work areas will continue to recover in Q1 2022-23. HMRC have used some initiatives to help reduce correspondence stock levels; see paragraph 6.15 below for details. 6.3 HMRC’s expected performance levels and commitments for 2022-23, agreed with HM Treasury and ministers, will be presented in the Department’s Outcome Delivery Plan, to be published early in 2022-23. 6.4 HMRC publish performance data monthly and quarterly. This includes: • Percentage of Telephony Advisor Attempts Handled (AAH) • Average Speed of Answer (ASA) • Customers waiting more than 10 minutes for their telephone call to be answered Correspondence: percentage worked within 15 working days of receipt 6.5 AAH is HMRC’s primary telephony performance measure. It shows the percentage of those customers who want to speak to an advisor who get to do so (excludes calls handled by automated systems). 6.6 ASA measures the average time that customers wait for a reply. It captures service levels for customers who join a telephony queue (excludes those played a busy message). 6.7 Customer service on the phones is now measured by combining AAH, NetEasy and Customer Satisfaction; ASA is a supporting measure.