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347692

	registered interest
	date	01/06/2015
	answering body	HM Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Working Tax Credit: Overpayments
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what consideration HM Revenue and Customs gave to the reputational risk of contracting to companies which are alleged to use aggressive debt collection techniques when it decided to outsource the collection of working tax credit overpayments to external debt collection agencies.
	tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Hall Green
	tabling member printed	Mr Roger Godsiff
	uin	574
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/06/2015 answer text <p>HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) takes great care to ensure that all debt pursuit is carried out appropriately and has worked closely with debt collection agencies on this for the last six years.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>HMRC has developed a robust and in-depth programme of monitoring and assurance to safeguard standards of behaviour. This includes allowing debts to be paid by instalments and adherence to HMRC’s customer charter and industry best practice.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency South West Hertfordshire answering member printed Mr David Gauke question first answered 08/06/2015 15:03:56 answering member 1529 label Biography information for Mr David Gauke
	tabling member	304 label Biography information for Mr Roger Godsiff

347693

	registered interest
	date	01/06/2015
	answering body	HM Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Working Tax Credit: Overpayments
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what quality standards HM Revenue and Customs applies when deciding to which external debt collection agencies the collection of working tax credit overpayments is outsourced.
	tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Hall Green
	tabling member printed	Mr Roger Godsiff
	uin	575
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/06/2015 answer text <p>HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) began using private sector debt collection agencies (DCAs) to augment in-house debt collection capability in 2009. HMRC follows the prescribed HM Government procurement process in appointing the service provider. This includes strict requirements relating to quality and propriety. In addition, HMRC was careful to ensure that suppliers were required to demonstrate high standards and substantial experience in the aspects of debt pursuit required for the contract.</p> answering member constituency South West Hertfordshire answering member printed Mr David Gauke question first answered 09/06/2015 14:38:46 answering member 1529 label Biography information for Mr David Gauke
	tabling member	304 label Biography information for Mr Roger Godsiff

347694

	registered interest
	date	01/06/2015
	answering body	HM Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Working Tax Credit: Overpayments
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what impact assessment was made of the decision by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to outsource the collection of working tax credit overpayments to external debt collection agencies; and what estimate HMRC made of the cost of (a) recovering overpayment by HMRC and (b) selling the debts.
	tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Hall Green
	tabling member printed	Mr Roger Godsiff
	uin	576
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/06/2015 answer text <p>HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) began using private sector debt collection agencies (DCAs) to augment in-house debt collection capability in 2009. HMRC recognised the need to do more to tackle the temporary forecast rise in tax credit related debt before the replacement of tax credits by Universal Credit. HMRC's experience working with Debt Collection Agencies showed that they could provide cost effective temporary capacity to do this, especially because doing this would enable HMRC's own collectors to generate extra yield from other types of debt, and that this approach would offer substantially better value than selling the debts.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency South West Hertfordshire answering member printed Mr David Gauke question first answered 09/06/2015 15:53:16 answering member 1529 label Biography information for Mr David Gauke
	tabling member	304 label Biography information for Mr Roger Godsiff

347696

	registered interest
	date	01/06/2015
	answering body	HM Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Working Tax Credit: Overpayments
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many complaints HM Revenue and Customs has received about the decision to outsource the collection of working tax credit overpayments to external debt collection agencies.
	tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Hall Green
	tabling member printed	Mr Roger Godsiff
	uin	577
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/06/2015 answer text <p>Although HM Revenue &amp; Customs (HMRC) does not categorise this specific issue within its debt pursuit complaints, a recent sampling exercise identified two cases that contained concerns about the decision to use debt collection agencies to recover tax credit overpayments.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>HM Revenue and Customs C began using private sector debt collection agencies (DCAs) to augment in-house debt collection capability in 2009. HMRC recognised the need to do more to tackle the temporary forecast rise in tax credit related debt before the replacement of tax credits by Universal Credit. HMRC's experience working with Debt Collection Agencies showed that they could provide cost effective temporary capacity to do this, especially because doing this would enable HMRC's own collectors to generate extra yield from other types of debt, and that this approach would offer substantially better value than selling the debts.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency South West Hertfordshire answering member printed Mr David Gauke question first answered 10/06/2015 15:23:05 answering member 1529 label Biography information for Mr David Gauke
	tabling member	304 label Biography information for Mr Roger Godsiff

347697

	registered interest
	date	01/06/2015
	answering body	HM Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Working Tax Credit: Overpayments
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, for what reasons HM Revenue and Customs decided to outsource the collection of working tax credit overpayments to external debt collection agencies.
	tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Hall Green
	tabling member printed	Mr Roger Godsiff
	uin	578
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/06/2015 answer text <p>HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) began using private sector debt collection agencies (DCAs) to augment in-house debt collection capability in 2009. HMRC recognised the need to do more to tackle the temporary forecast rise in tax credit related debt before the replacement of tax credits by universal credit. HMRC's experience working with Debt Collection Agencies showed that they could provide cost effective temporary capacity to do this, especially because doing this would enable HMRC's own collectors to generate extra yield from other types of debt.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency South West Hertfordshire answering member printed Mr David Gauke question first answered 09/06/2015 15:54:11 answering member 1529 label Biography information for Mr David Gauke
	tabling member	304 label Biography information for Mr Roger Godsiff

347698

	registered interest
	date	01/06/2015
	answering body	HM Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Working Tax Credit: Overpayments
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, who signed off the decision that HM Revenue and Customs would outsource the collection of working tax credit overpayments to external debt collection agencies; what consultation with stakeholders was undertaken before the decision was taken; and whether expert advice was sought.
	tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Hall Green
	tabling member printed	Mr Roger Godsiff
	uin	579
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/06/2015 answer text <p>HM Revenue and Customs began using private sector debt collection agencies (DCAs) to augment in-house debt collection capability in 2009. The decision was announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer as part of Autumn Statement 2012 and Autumn Statement 2013; and in line with established procedure, such decisions are not formally consulted on in advance. HMRC involved a full range of experts in the planning and procurement process.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency South West Hertfordshire answering member printed Mr David Gauke question first answered 09/06/2015 15:50:33 answering member 1529 label Biography information for Mr David Gauke
	tabling member	304 label Biography information for Mr Roger Godsiff

349608

	registered interest
	date	10/06/2015
	answering body	HM Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Working Tax Credit: Overpayments
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 9 June 2015 to Question 576, whether HM Revenue and Customs (a) sold working tax credit debt to external debt collection agencies and (b) contracted out the collection of working tax credit debt while retaining ownership.
	tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Hall Green
	tabling member printed	Mr Roger Godsiff
	uin	1830
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/06/2015 answer text <p>HM Revenue and Customs has not sold tax credit debt. It has contracted out collection, but retains ownership.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency South West Hertfordshire answering member printed Mr David Gauke question first answered 15/06/2015 16:56:19 answering member 1529 label Biography information for Mr David Gauke
	tabling member	304 label Biography information for Mr Roger Godsiff

349609

	registered interest
	date	10/06/2015
	answering body	HM Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Working Tax Credit: Overpayments
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 9 June 2015 to Question 578, for what reasons a temporary rise in tax credit related debt was forecast to take place before the replacement of tax credits by universal credit.
	tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Hall Green
	tabling member printed	Mr Roger Godsiff
	uin	1831
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/06/2015 answer text <p>Although a number of measures have been introduced to prevent the occurrence of tax credits overpayments - and we will continue to consider further measures - we expect that tax credits related debt will continue to rise as we move towards it being replaced by Universal Credit due to the design of the tax credits system.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The tax credits system is an annual system – all awards and payments are “provisional” until finalised after the end of the year, once income and family circumstances are confirmed.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Tax credits are responsive to changes in claimants’ circumstances: overpayments – as well as underpayments – typically occur because people do not report changes promptly. However, due to the annual nature of the tax credits system, with tax credits awards being based on household income for a tax year, overpayments can occur even when the claimant and HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) do everything right. Where error and fraud is identified, overpayments are generated.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency South West Hertfordshire answering member printed Mr David Gauke question first answered 17/06/2015 16:23:48 answering member 1529 label Biography information for Mr David Gauke
	tabling member	304 label Biography information for Mr Roger Godsiff

349610

	registered interest
	date	10/06/2015
	answering body	HM Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Working Tax Credit: Overpayments
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 9 June 2015 to Question 579, which experts were involved in the planning process for outsourcing working tax credit debt collection to the private sector; whether any of those experts had a financial interest in the debt collection sector; whether those experts advised HM Revenue and Customs to proceed with the use of private sector debt collection agencies; and whether advice from those experts was provided orally or in writing.
	tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Hall Green
	tabling member printed	Mr Roger Godsiff
	uin	1832
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/06/2015 answer text <p>A wide range of HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and HM Treasury financial, debt recovery and analysis experts were involved in planning the use of debt collection agencies for tax credit debt as part.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The management of conflicts of interest for Civil Servants is set out in the Civil Service Code and the Civil Service Management Code.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency South West Hertfordshire answering member printed Mr David Gauke question first answered 16/06/2015 15:52:40 answering member 1529 label Biography information for Mr David Gauke
	tabling member	304 label Biography information for Mr Roger Godsiff

353856

	registered interest
	date	12/06/2015
	answering body	HM Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Working Tax Credit: Overpayments
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 8 June 2015 to Question 574, what assessment he has made of whether the debt collection methods used by Rossendales comply with the standards required by HM Revenue and Customs of its debt collection agencies.
	tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Hall Green
	tabling member printed	Mr Roger Godsiff
	uin	2339
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/06/2015 answer text <p>The response on 8 June to question 574 relates to all debt collection agencies that work with HM Revenue and Customs.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency South West Hertfordshire answering member printed Mr David Gauke question first answered 17/06/2015 16:15:13 answering member 1529 label Biography information for Mr David Gauke
	tabling member	304 label Biography information for Mr Roger Godsiff