To be really bloody furious with the Tax Credits helpline?

[muminthecity]

I called today on my lunch break. I spent 30 minutes on hold then had to give up as lunch break was over, so didn't get to speak to anyone.

I tried again this evening at 7.15pm. Was on hold for 45 minutes, then at 8pm a recorded message came on telling me that their offices are now closed and they automatically hung up on me! So that's 1 hour 15 minutes spent on the phone to them today and still didn't get to speak to an actual human! I am so bloody pissed off, God knows how much those calls will have cost, and I'll have to ring them again tomorrow now.

YANBU! How annoying. Good luck tomorrow.

They are really awful. Just try getting through on any option and whoever eventually answers will have to transfer you to the right person

I would check your phone bill if it's on your mobile I had an extra £10 on phone bill ringing them!!

Hi, Just something to help you next time you ring - as advised by Martin from Money saving supermarket - mostly all government websites have their 0345 number but also - usually - a number to ring if calling from overseas - which is always just a UK landline number. So, if you get free landline calls (which a lot of us do now) you can ring the landline number for free - it goes through to the exact same place as the 0345 number but at least you aren't worrying about the cost. :-) Actually have just looked it up for you - from the HRMC website - tax credits section and it says: If you're calling from abroad please telephone:+44 2890 538 192

Do the same thing for any calls like that to save the costs, they just goes into the same call centre as the other number.
Good luck!

ps - I use that number when I need to ring them, no problem.

Yanbu. It makes me stabby .

I wouldn't mind if there was an option to hold because I could pop it onto speaker phone and do something else while I waited.

But they don't have a sodding hold option do they. It takes me 3 minutes to listen to the spiel and click through the options, then it cuts me off. And repeat. Fuckers.

Thanks everyone, especially LeepyTime - I will try that number tomorrow.

muminthecity I haven't even made it to the hallowed hold option yet this week. Just the "we're too busy, please try later" option.

I wonder if they've lost staff, it's never been this bad before.

03 numbers are free from landlines and part of inclusive minutes from mobiles. Link here gives more details. But for 0845/0870/0844 etc numbers, I always try www.saynoto0870.com to see if there is a free alternative.

HTH

And the least they could do is put some decent bloody music on whilst waiting instead of that annoying shite.

The whole system is and always has been grossly incompetent. You'd think, in todays technological world, they'd be able to simplify all their processes and get it right once in a while says she who is in dispute to the tune of £4000 and has been fighting for two years against them

Thanks mum, my first MN ! And thanks LadyKatherine, I didn't know that about 03 numbers. It is still useful if they are 0845 or whatever numbers to always just check if there is a 'calling from overseas' landline number, on any website. Thanks and good luck!

I know someone who works at the helpline and she says that calling first thing in the morning is the best time to get through. Also there's a special number - maybe it's the overseas one - which gets through very quickly. One time I used it and it worked but another time they just put me through to the main line. Just googled and found this one - 028 9053 8192 - I have no idea if it will work!

Agree the whole system is shit though - especially as now you can't even do it by post anymore

YANBU. You should try it on a mobile, I don't have a land line. I had over £10 of credit which was used up mostly on hold, then got to speak to someone and I said 'my phone is just about to run out of credit because I've been on hold for so long, can you please call me back when we get cut off?' Resounding answer of 'No'. Fuckers

DO YOU KNOW WE HAVE A WEBSITE????
Hahaha oh happy memories of ringing them ;)

If you are anywhere near an HMRC enquiry centre (google it, should find a list of locations) they have a dedicated phone which goes straight through to the advisers. Not ideal I know but it's free and you don't end up in a queue

TodaysAGoodDay - I don't have a working landline at the moment either - I dread to think what my next mobile phone bill will look like .

I use Pay as You Go, it's too depressing to call sometimes as I watch all my credit get eaten up. I will be thrilled if they ever bring out free numbers from mobiles to places like Tax Credits, they bloody need them.

I spent an hour on hold the other day but they were helpful eventually.

I wonder if they've lost staff, it's never been this bad before

They have, a lot of staff over the last few years to the point that there physically aren't enough people to cove the work that needs doing. The cuts to public services? That's one of them.

DH works there. It's grim.

oh God! I need to speak to them soon!

I spoke to them earlier and got straight through, it was about 3pm. If you can, that time of day is a good time to try as I guess lots of people are doing school runs.