Getting throught to HMRC/DWP/PIP etc is just awful

[Mogzillas]

Made a PIP claim for my daughter 4 weeks ago and form hasn't arrived still.

I rang the number and had to listen to 9 options.
Picked new claims as I've not even sent the form off, took 20 mins to get through.
Lady says I need to ring back and click existing claims.

Which I did but they're asking for her bank details and last PIP payment amount to confirm identity (through a robot) which we don't have because she doesn't have an active claim.

After button bashing I'm listening to some tinny music for 15 mins before I just get cut off.

TWICE

Am on my 4th attempt now and been waiting 53 minutes.

My first call was at 9.45am

I'm feeling so frustrated.

The people answering the phone at Hmrc are paid minimum wage so I don’t think you can expect them to be experts

You just take photos & add as attachments. Very simple

It's a call centre they get trained. That's like saying somebody who works in a cafe gets minimum wage but can't work the coffee machine.

It's a result of austerity. Fewer staff, faster turnover because of poor wages.

@Coffeeishot it’s really not like making coffee. They get trained to follow a script but they are not trained in tax

Yes I am her appointee.

Been trying to get through to HMRC for months now, we've a WTC credit overpayment to repay.

They say I can do it online using the reference number on the letter - there is no reference number on the letter, nor on any letter I can find (not one that works!).

So I try to do it over the phone, we no longer have a landline. The mobile signal here is poor and tends to cut off if you're on hold for a long time, so far we've been cut off before getting through (and I am talking multiple attempts per day for months!).

DP has attempted to call from elsewhere but sitting in a local cafe or McDonalds attempting to call them isn't hugely practical and still results in him being on hold for ages then cut off as the signal around here generally is fairly poor. He'd have to go to the nearest city, that is the next plan, and park up somewhere and sit in the car. He's not really thrilled at the idea of freezing his tits off for hours to sort this out!

Then they should pass your call to someone else who can deal with it rather than bluffing and blundering their way through the call just wasting everyone's time.

Gordon Brown's reorganisations and policy of closing town centre offices and concentrating tax officials in a few huge call centres meant huge numbers of experienced/knowledgable tax inspectors took voluntary redundancy and were replaced by minimum wage workers who havn't a clue. Then they wonder why we have such a huge black hole in tax revenues (the official "tax gap"!).

they should know the basics though or there is absolutely no point in them doing the job, likewise they would be better telling someone they don’t know rather than telling them a complete load of garbage

But they are able to answer basic questions or have the know how to look up answers OR pass onto the relevant person, belittling staff because they are "minimum wage" is unhelpful.

I agree. And yes, there is absolutely no point in some of them as they're completely incapable of doing anything that the caller can't easily do themselves. Anything that isn't obvious from the website, is outside their ability, as all they do is look on the website. If you get someone sensible, they may pass your enquiry to someone who knows what they're doing and you may get a call back. If they don't "know what they don't know", they'll just fob you off and maybe even tell you a load of garbage they've just made up or misunderstood.

I once had a cracker of a phone call with someone who clearly didn't have the faintest idea of the difference between a limited company and a sole trader. Started trying to tell me that a P11d and benefit in kind tax was due for a sole trader using a pick up truck! Wrong on so many counts. That's really dangerous if taxpayers are phoning up for advice and being told a load of bollocks!

But "Calls may be recorded for training and monitoring purposes" so there's that 😩.
I literally take names, departments, dates and times when I've called and being given BS information - I'm relentless with my receipts.