dear all. does any one know if the inland rev tax credit offices have a designated number for advisers who are not c.a.b? i telephoned 0845300046 today to be told this was a number specifically for cab advisers only. inland rev only have a special number for hb offices from local authorities to check for hb calculations, they apparently do not have a specific number for any other advisers???

please help,some one!!!!!!!!!!

The number we use is 0845 3003946.

The C.A.B have a number, as do the Local Authority, Job Centres and also people like Childminders and other IR offices. Sometimes I get calls from people from these places who come through on the public number to discuss a claim, not showing as priority, I can not discuss a claim with them, however, if someone calls through on a priority line, as long as they have minimum details about the claimant, they can change all sorts of things. Might not be a good idea to post the priority numbers on an internet forum.

I have to say, when it comes to communications, your department falls far short of what I would consider reasonable standards of openness and accessibility. I have a question on this subject, which I'd be very grateful if you could answer.

Why does the IRTCO, distinct from any other government department of which I'm aware, deny access to communication by email or fax from advisers or customers? Neither the DWP, nor housing benefit authorities, seem to have any problem with allowing modern methods of external communication. Why does the IRTCO virtually always insist on telephone or post?

Ok, it might not be a great idea to post private phone numbers on a website but, frankly, it's a perfectly reasonable and understandable thing to do when the Inland Revenue behave so secretively and when advisers continue to report that they are having basic problems liaising with the service more than 18 months after tax credits were launched.

I really cant comment on TCO policy, I know only to well a lot of it simply makes no sense, all I am saying is that if a member of the public gets hold of these numbers, and if wanted to cause trouble for people, they could easily adjust income, jobs, hours and bank accounts or address details.

Thanks David. Is this your answer to my question re email and fax, or have you still to post on that subject?

here's a link to IR explanation regarding their own 64-8 form authorising an agent.

http://www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk/workingtogether/news/faxed_forms_64-8.htm

In relation to posting adviser only numbers, I find it hard to accept that details would be changed so readily over the phone also if person has enough information about the person to be accepted as an advice worker working with the person, what is to stop them passing themselves off as the person?

The "bogus callers" concern, appears to me to be a red herring. It's not exactly difficult to verify the identity of an enquiring organisation, and to verify that it is a bona fide source. The IR might like to take advice from the DWP on this subject.

Where it is verified that the enquiry is from a bona fide advice agency, it seems to me that to treat the enquiry as potentially bogus is a bit absurd. Am I missing something?

Dont really think that is the point, if it is an advider acting in the best interests of the client, they could easily pass themselves off as the person, however, if it is a bogus caller out to cause trouble, they could easily call up saying they are from the DWP with, say an ex-partners details and do a lot of damage such as inform the IR that Mr/Mrs X has applied for Income Support, or even end an employment status. Coming from the DWP priority line, the incident would be taken a lot more seriously by compliance than a regular benefit fraud public line, and all it would take would be a malicious person with a bit of internet knowledge.

Correct me if I am wrong Mr Wolves, but you seem to be claiming that simply by calling the IR on one of the numbers quoted above, you will automatically be treated as able to amend details of anyones TC claim? I find this information to be extremely uncredible, especially in light of the intial query on this thread, which related to an adviser being refused information when making a call on a dedicated advisers phone line.

It is simply arrant nonsense to claim that it is easy to alter the details of someone's TC claim because of some mysterious ulterior motive. You claim not to be able to comment on IR policy regards disclosure of information yet, in your opinion, the policy seems to be so poor that anyone at all, in possession of the correct phone number, can amend and alter details of someone else's TC claim as easily as picking up the phone.

To go back to the original questions:

1) how can non-CAB advisers contact the IR to check details of their client's TC claims?
2) why does the IR refuse to allow communication from advisers by fax and e-mail?
3) what is the IR doing about developing protocols and policies for 3rd party communications, especially as the system is, in your opinion, so fragile that one single phone call could result in someone erroneously/maliciously having their entitlement ended?

Sorry I spoke