HMRC Closing Helplines

[kidmore_kats]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-68606722

Really helpful with the new tax arrangements coming in.

[4_bathrooms]

Crikey:

"The changes mean:

• The self-assessment helpline will be closed for six months of the year, and only deal with priority cases for the rest
• The VAT helpline will only be open for five business days every month ahead of the deadline for filing VAT returns
• The PAYE helpline will no longer take calls from customers relating to refunds"

Judging by the many threads on these boards seeking advice with self-assessment and VAT (and some of the replies...) this is a terrible announcement. There's no mention whether HMRC will stand by any advice given by the "chatbot" even if it's wrong. I'm guessing the bot will take cues from keywords during the chat and try to direct the enquirer to the relevant page on HMRC's website. 

[the_book_seekers]

I hate chat bots. I had to use one recently which just took me around in circles until it finally said I needed to speak to a human and the told me customer services had closed for the night. 

This is not going to be a usual year. Shutting down human contact for the 'quiet period' for all bar complicated cases is storing up trouble. Sometimes what is written needs interpretation and explanation. Just pointing enquiries to relevant web pages isn't going to cut it. 

[divine0606]

I think its a JOKE really this country is loosing the plot

[oilydub]

Just been announced on GB news that this descision has been reversed today.

[the_book_seekers]

A little bit of common sense has prevailed.

[santlache_sales]

You watch GB (Tory Party) News ?

But yes, other far more reliable and responsible networks, who don't get sanctioned for allowing Tory MP's to host shows and read the news, have also announced this is not true and won't be happening.

[4_bathrooms]

Confirmed by BBC (the original source): HMRC reverses decision to close telephone helpline - BBC News

Plagiarising a comment I saw, I can only imagine something similar actually did happen at HMRC:

Blackadder: Baldric! We have a problem...we're not meeting our targets for answering calls promptly.

Baldric: Don't worry sir, I have a cunning plan. We could disconnect the phones for six months of the year. If they can't call us, there's no target to be met...

Blackadder: Don't be stupid, Baldric! The public would never fall for that... 

[papso22]

While I am sure that many of you have little sympathy for HMRC employees, the ones who operate the call centres would have already been reassigned to new duties as a result of the decision to close/reduce the helplines, and will now have to be redeployed back to the call centres.  This will create some personal upheaval for people who are already stretched to the limit.

There are always people impacted by corporate decisions, even when there is a one day U turn.