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Bounty Mutiny: news and update

102 replies

RowanMumsnet · 09/04/2014 10:40

Hello

As part of our ongoing Bounty Mutiny campaign, we've written a letter to Treasury minister David Gauke, asking him to reconsider Bounty's contract with the HMRC.

The HMRC pays Bounty £90,000 each year to distribute child benefit claim forms as part of the Bounty pack. As lots of you will know, the child benefit form is also freely available online or by phone, and our survey last year showed that some Bounty reps continue to heavily imply (or even baldly state) that women who refuse to give their personal details at the bedside will be unable to claim Child Benefit.

As Justine MN has said:

"By paying Bounty a fee for distributing child benefit forms, the HMRC is effectively handing Bounty a bargaining chip it can use to persuade new mums to hand over personal details for Bounty's own commercial gain. Thousands of Mumsnet users have made it clear that the hours after birth on a postnatal ward are neither the time nor place for the hard sell, and it's time for the government to stop financially supporting this process."


There's a petition asking the HMRC to end its commercial relationship with Bounty that has over 66,000 signatures (please do sign if you haven't!).

Just thought we'd let you know where we're at - as ever, do please let us know what you think, here on the thread, and on Twitter using #bountymutiny. And please share this page or the text of our letter far and wide, and don't forget to sign the petition. And of course if you'd like to let David Gauke know what you think, you can get in touch with him at the Treasury, or @davidgauke on Twitter.

Thanks
MNHQ

OP posts:
JacqueslePeacock · 09/04/2014 10:48

This is great. There must be other ways to get the form to new parents (beyond phone and online, which may be difficult for some). Why can't HVs give them out? Or midwives? Having Bounty do it is just ludicrous. PAYING Bounty to do it is even more ludicrous.

Bippidee · 09/04/2014 10:58

Agreed, Jacques. (Great name, btw!) could the red book not have a copy in it, seeing as everyone gets a red book?

SuffolkNWhat · 09/04/2014 11:01

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

PartialFancy · 09/04/2014 11:25

Signed (hope I haven't accidentally signed twice, as I've been following the Bounty Mutiny for some time).

MsIngaFewmarbles · 09/04/2014 11:31

Having worked in postnatal wards and seen the amount of work MW and HCA have to do it doesn't seem workable for them to hand out the forms, however women could be given the forms by a community MW on their first or last visit once they are home.

Suffolk's idea is also great too.

Merrythulu · 09/04/2014 11:39

Done. Mind you MsIng, one gets handed so much bumpf when you become pregnant by the midwives, surely they could cut down on the quite unnecessarily large amount of crap and strim it down to the important stuff - CHB forms would be on the important stuff, stupid Emma's diary not quite so important?

PartialFancy · 09/04/2014 11:52

When I've registered a death, the registrar has merrily handed out a DWP form and actually pre-printed it with the deceased's details she's just collected anyway, for stopping pensions and the like.

They could do the same for child benefit forms.

starlight1234 · 09/04/2014 12:01

signed

BeCool · 09/04/2014 12:07

signed!

ShoeWhore · 09/04/2014 12:19

Signed. I agree that this info could be given out by registrars or HVs instead.

glenthebattleostrich · 09/04/2014 12:24

Signed. Think registrar givingthe form out is the easiest solution

FobblyWoof · 09/04/2014 12:32

Signed. I agree that handing them out when registering the birth would be the best way. No extra work for anyone (other than the registrar saying "take a form") and accessible to everyone. It would also save HMRC the £90,000 it pays to Bounty. And to think, I always though bounty paid them!

Mignonette · 09/04/2014 12:40

My FOI answers have come through from my local hospital and I have sent supplementary questions. Am writing an article about this and it should get decent regional coverage.

AmberPig · 09/04/2014 12:43

Signed. I think (?) Everyone needs the form whether you're actually going to receive child benefit or not, to protect NI contributions, so why ask a marketing agency (in effect) to do it? I turned down the Bounty pack and tried to download a form online and couldn't get the PDF to display, so ended up ringing and waiting almost 2 weeks to receive a it.

ouryve · 09/04/2014 13:02

Signed and tweeted.

I still get snippets of junk mail related to my stay in hospital with my 10yo.

DingbatsFur · 09/04/2014 13:54

Signed. You can claim online. I did years ago when I accidentally threw out the bounty pack as it was rubbish.
search2.hmrc.gov.uk/kb5/hmrc/forms/view.page?record=1eGEs2BeDUQ&formId=435

CrazyOldCatLady · 09/04/2014 14:13

In Ireland, the registrar in the hospital registers the child's birth, and the General Registry Office send a file to the Department of Social Protection each day with the lists of new mothers. The Department sends the forms out, partially completed with the mother's and child's details. Much more user friendly for new mums!

Thegreatunslept · 09/04/2014 14:25

I never seen the bounty woman in hospital (lucky I know) so I did not receive my child benefit forms. I went online printed it out the sent it away.
Such a shame as a new mum you are faced with a stranger invading your time with your new baby over the head of a form!

comicsansisevil · 09/04/2014 14:30

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ExitPursuedByABear · 09/04/2014 14:33

Well I never realised HMRC paid them to do this.

What a ridiculous waste of money.

Signed

Freshnclean · 09/04/2014 14:44

Completely support this. Well done Mumsnet.

stinkingbishop · 09/04/2014 15:02

Signed. I can't get over we actually PAY Bounty for the privilege of being harassed like this. That's our money. HMRC are MUPPETS for doing that. Most commercial organisations would be happy with it being the other way round ie paying for access to a lucrative target audience.

What would 90k pay for in a maternity wing? How many scanners? Midwives? Breast feeding help at night?

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OooOooTheMonkey · 09/04/2014 16:47

Signed, thank you. They came round after I had given birth brandishing their cameras. I told them politely to hop it and refused to give them any details.

RustyParker · 09/04/2014 19:16

Didn't realise HMRC actually PAY Bounty to hand the cb forms out Shock

Signed!

eggeggduck · 09/04/2014 20:45

Disgusting. Why are we paying this.

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