Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 29
29
For 2021–22, HMRC has replaced most of its response time measures with metrics of whether...
Conclusion
For 2021–22, HMRC has replaced most of its response time measures with metrics of whether it is easy for customers to access and deal with HMRC.52 Rather than call handling times, it now publicly reports the percentage of callers wishing to speak to an adviser who are able to get through. It continues to report publicly on its postal response times but has not set a target for the number it responds to in 15 days.53 Making Tax Digital
Government Response
Not Addressed
HM Government
Not Addressed
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.