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Forum Home  →  Discussion  →  Income support, JSA and tax credits  →  Thread

More on our friends Concentrix

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Mr Finch
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Given the huge amount of distress that is being caused to individuals across the counrtuy who are still waiting for a review of Concentrix’s decisions, I would be grateful for a weekly update on HMRC’s progress in reducing the backlog’

Given that no-one seems to think that any Concentrix decision has been validly reached, is there any excuse for not re-instating every award in bulk and then starting any legitimate investigations from the beginning?

SocSec
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useful reading the Hansard report on the matter, even some less than sympathetic MPs have had enough of concentrix behaviour, the NAO are to investigate them too. all this smacks of shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted . even HMRC staff are now telling my clients to appeal any decision that concentrix were involved in as it may be over turned .

shawn mach
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Via the BBC -

A US firm used by the government to cut tax credit payments has suffered a data protection breach, it is claimed.

Facebook campaign group Concentrix Mums believe around 100 claimants have been sent information such as bank statements, self assessment details and National Insurance numbers of others.

A Concentrix spokesperson said: “We treat these allegations seriously and are investigating”.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-37631613

LITRG
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Mr Finch - 12 October 2016 01:11 PM

Given the huge amount of distress that is being caused to individuals across the counrtuy who are still waiting for a review of Concentrix’s decisions, I would be grateful for a weekly update on HMRC’s progress in reducing the backlog’

Given that no-one seems to think that any Concentrix decision has been validly reached, is there any excuse for not re-instating every award in bulk and then starting any legitimate investigations from the beginning?

I haven’t had chance to read/listen to the hearing yet, but from the discussions I have been involved in with HMRC whilst they accept the customer service failings by Concentrix, they don’t seem to agree there is a real issue with the quality of decision making.

The other important point I think is that in terms of the actual decisions and the quality of those decisions,, in our experience HMRC cases have suffered from the same problems (although I think most undisclosed partner checks were given to Concentrix over renewals period, that certainly wasn’t the case last year)

Victoria

Mr Finch
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Thanks Victoria, having just listened to the clip of the hearing from last night’s Today in Parliament, I think you’re right about that.

Phil Cassidy from Concentrix caused me some fist clenching when he offered the explanation that claimants are to blame for not meeting their burden of proof (to prove they’re not in a relationship with a deceased person).

Paul_Treloar_AgeUK
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Exactly. Concentrix weren’t exactly briliant by any stretch but HMRC have been making dodugy LT decisions for as long as I can remember. I’ve had cases of brothers, former tenants, and people who they wouldn’t identify but the client had to prove they weren’t living with them, let alone the infamous cases of corner shops and landlords.

More concern should be raised in some respects at the ability to outsource decison making functions at the drop of a hat, in a multi-million pound contract, with apparently no real scrutiny in Parliament.

Daphne
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Frank Field today -

From senior HMRC officials we saw a palpable disregard for the human implications of this gross failure of public service.

http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/work-and-pensions-committee/news-parliament-2015/concentrix-hmrc-tax-credits-statement-16-17/

Daphne
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And the number of cases Concentrix dealt with -

Between the commencement of the contract in November 2014 and the end of October 2015, the number of cases completed by Concentrix by risk type were as follows:
- 107,677 childcare risk;
- 84,154 undeclared partner risk;
- 114,146 work and hours risk.

http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2016-09-14/46384/

Peter Turville
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Whilst the Work & Pensions Ctte and National Audit Office investigations are welcome. This has all the hallmarks of DWP and ATOS - its all their fault.

But as we all know there have been exactly the same issues with HMRC compliance investigations for years.

What’s the betting HMRC will get a canning for management of the Concentrix contract but carry on in exactly the same way for years to come until replaced by UC?

shawn mach
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Concentrix tax credit work to be brought back in-house to HMRC within weeks:

Concentrix, the firm accused of incorrectly withdrawing tax credits from hundreds of claimants, is to have its work brought back in-house to HM Revenue and Customs, staff have been told.

Work now being done by the US company would be taken on by HMRC immediately, said the Public and Commercial Service union (PCS).

Last month HMRC said it would not sign a new contract with the company, whose present contract was due to end in May next year ...

... A staff bulletin said discussions were continuing, adding that Belfast-based staff would automatically transfer to HMRC. It read: “This will provide permanent employment to Concentrix people who we require to deliver our priorities, offering job security to them well beyond the scheduled expiry of the contract in May 2017. We are currently working to agree transfer dates, but it will be in the next few weeks.”

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/oct/20/concentrix-hmrc-work-tax-credits-stripped-away-firm-contract-treasury

 

Daphne
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House of Commons Library briefing which provides a background summary and also press and parliamentary coverage ahead of tomorrow’s Opposition Day debate on HMRC’s contract with Concentrix.

shawn mach
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HMRC evidence to the Public Accounts Committee earlier this week, includes -

- Concentrix are not handling any cases any more. HMRC are handling all the cases. HMRC took over all mandatory reconsiderations and now have stopped giving new cases to Concentrix. HMRC have taken back all incomplete cases. (Question 10)

- there were 181,000 incomplete cases with Concentrix. HMRC has taken those back and have cleared 178,000. The remaining 3,000 require the exchange of various correspondence with claimants. (Question 16)

- HMRC is looking at making lump sum payments where people have gone through the mandatory reconsideration process and come back into payment, but where there is a gap where they did not receive any money, since spreading the money owed over the remainder of the year ‘bumps into other benefits in the benefits process’ (Question 38)

http://data.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/committeeevidence.svc/evidencedocument/public-accounts-committee/hmrc-performance-tax-transparency/oral/42059.html

 

BC Welfare Rights
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