Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

HMRC Customer Service

Tuesday 4 November 2025 · 4 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Shaun Davies welcomed the Government's 20 million investment in relocating and upgrading Telford's HMRC office.
  • Esther McVey questioned whether HMRC would now accept "inadvertent errors" from individuals following the Chancellor's statement.
  • Dame Meg Hillier inquired about HMRC's use of travel data to stop child benefit payments and requested an explanation of the issue and the data involved.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Shaun Davies Lab Telford
Business Compliance Science & Technology
Context

The MP acknowledges the government's investment in Telford’s HMRC office and highlights the potential of AI and technology to improve services.

Question

I welcome the Government’s £20 million investment in relocating and upgrading Telford’s HMRC office, with 1,000 members of staff working hard to deliver the best service possible. Will the Minister meet me and Telford and Wrekin council to discuss how the new HMRC campus can be at the forefront of improving the customer experience, including by harnessing the potential of AI and tech, as well as partnering with the start-up sector?

Answer from The Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury (Dan Tomlinson)

My hon. Friend is a very strong advocate for Telford, both for jobs in the private sector and for those in the public sector that we are able to support in his community. I am glad to hear that he, like me, is proud of HMRC’s Telford campus and wants to see it play a key role in improving customer experience through innovation, AI and digital technology. I will be very happy to meet my hon. Friend to discuss those issues.

Answered
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Q2 Esther McVey Con Tatton
Taxation
Context

The MP criticizes the Chancellor for justifying her lack of a rental license as an 'inadvertent error' while HMRC does not accept such errors from others.

Question

The Chancellor has justified her lack of a licence for renting out her house as an “inadvertent error”, but HMRC is never prepared to accept that people make inadvertent errors. Will this now change, or does the Chancellor expect to be treated differently from everyone else who makes an inadvertent error?

Answer from The Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury (Dan Tomlinson)

I am not sure that the matter that the right hon. Member just raised has much to do with HMRC.

Not addressed: Chancellor's rental licence issue and its relevance to HMRC policies

How: Deflected By Stating It Does Not Concern Hmrc

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Q3 Meg Hillier Labour (Co-op) Hackney South and Shoreditch
Taxation Benefits & Welfare
Context

The MP questions HMRC’s practice of using travel data to stop child benefit payments, which has led to wrongful removals.

Question

The Treasury Committee looks at HMRC’s customer service. We have recently seen people having their child benefit stopped, ostensibly on the basis of travel data. Could the Minister explain what he is doing to resolve this issue and what data HMRC based its information on?

Answer from The Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury (Dan Tomlinson)

I thank my hon. Friend for her service on the Treasury Committee; she is doing a sterling job as its Chair. This is a really important issue. Last year HMRC undertook a pilot to try to find a way to reduce fraud in the child benefit system. That measure is expected to save £350 million over the next five years, and we have already managed to prevent £17 million in wrongful payments, but my hon. Friend is right to say that a very small number of claimants had their child benefit incorrectly removed. I am really sorry that that happened. HMRC is writing to those who have been affected and ensuring that people who should get their child benefit payments do receive them.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Details on the data used for travel-based decisions

How: Acknowledged Issue But Provided Limited Details

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Q4 Vikki Slade Lib Dem Mid Dorset and North Poole
Taxation
Context

The MP raises the case of a constituent who waited seven months for a refund, questioning if this is reasonable.

Question

My constituent Hollie from Wimborne applied for a self-assessment refund of just £300 in April. When she chased it in June, she was told it had gone to a specialist tax team, with no reason and no time frame given. She complained in August, but it is now November, and she has heard nothing. While she may be owed only £300, this is happening around the country. Can the Minister tell me whether he thinks seven months is a reasonable time within which to receive a basic refund, and what the Department is doing to speed things up?

Answer from The Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury (Dan Tomlinson)

I thank the hon. Member for raising her constituent’s issue, and I would be happy for her to write to the Department about it. Even though it is not appropriate for me to get involved in an individual taxpayer’s affairs, I hope the Department can improve on that service. We have improved the response rates for both people making phone calls and people getting in touch via the post, but of course there is always more we can do.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Evaluation of current timeframe for refunds

How: Acknowledged Issue But Provided Limited Details

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