A study from Citizens Advice shows taxpayers spend an average of 47 minutes in total on the phone to speak to someone at HMRC.
While official HMRC figures suggest an average wait of 10 minutes, the study – using Twitter complaints –indicates many people are waiting longer. Frustrated callers tweeted HMRC over 11,500 times in the last 12 months to complain about long phone line queues. One person said they had tried to get through to HMRC on four occasions – waiting an hour each time.
Chief executive Gillian Guy said: ‘We have consistently raised this issue with the government. But evidence from across the Citizens Advice service, and our new research, shows HMRC is still failing to provide a timely service. HMRC needs to urgently address the problems many people are experiencing with phone lines.’
A study from Citizens Advice shows taxpayers spend an average of 47 minutes in total on the phone to speak to someone at HMRC.
While official HMRC figures suggest an average wait of 10 minutes, the study – using Twitter complaints –indicates many people are waiting longer. Frustrated callers tweeted HMRC over 11,500 times in the last 12 months to complain about long phone line queues. One person said they had tried to get through to HMRC on four occasions – waiting an hour each time.
Chief executive Gillian Guy said: ‘We have consistently raised this issue with the government. But evidence from across the Citizens Advice service, and our new research, shows HMRC is still failing to provide a timely service. HMRC needs to urgently address the problems many people are experiencing with phone lines.’
