Asked by: Paul Maynard (Conservative - Blackpool North and Cleveleys)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he plans to reply to the correspondence from the hon. Member for Blackpool North and Cleveleys of 9 February 2022 on behalf of constituents regarding energy rebates.
Answered by Helen Whately - Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
I have responded to the hon. Member.
Asked by: Paul Maynard (Conservative - Blackpool North and Cleveleys)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what support he plans to provide for increasing Government-funded debt advice.
Answered by John Glen
The Government recognises the vital role that debt advice providers play in helping people in vulnerable circumstances. This is why the Government provided record levels of debt advice funding to the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) for free-to-client debt advice provision in England in 2020/21 and 2021/22. The Government and MaPS remain committed to help individuals in problem debt get their finances back on track, especially as some now face new challenges in the shape of the sharp rise in inflation.
On 14 February, MaPS confirmed funding levels for debt advice services in England over the next three financial years. Its budget for the delivery of frontline debt advice provision in England has risen to £76 million for each of the next three financial years (subject to the usual annual budget setting by the Government), recognising an anticipated increase in the need for debt advice. This represents a significant increase from pre-pandemic levels of funding, which totalled £43 million in 2019/20.
Asked by: Paul Maynard (Conservative - Blackpool North and Cleveleys)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many complaints his Department has received about deeds or letters of assignment in (a) 2019-20, (b) 2020-21 and (c) 2021-22 to date; and what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of HMRC's complaint handling procedure in respect of the validity of a deed or letter of assignment.
Answered by Lucy Frazer
The table below shows the complaints relating to Deed of Assignment received over the last 3 years at each complaints stage. Please note there could be small numbers of additional complaints which have not clearly been designated within HMRC’s complaints handling system, but which do relate to the same issue. A manual review would be required to identify those additional complaints, which was not possible in the time available.
| Tier 1 | Tier 2 | Adjudicator |
2019-20 | 137 | 4 | 0 |
2020 -21 | 272 | 9 | 3 |
2021 - YTD | 338 | 19 | 1 |
Following an increase in complaints in relation to the validity of deeds or letters of assignment, HMRC has reviewed its complaint handling for these cases. Following a review with appropriate stakeholders, HMRC investigates by:
HMRC do not accredit or in any way approve agents and take firm action against any who are not complying with the law.
HMRC has announced its intention to run a consultation this year on ways to tackle the high costs to customers who claim tax refunds. The consultation is part of HMRC’s work on raising standards in the tax advice market. A range of individuals and consumer interest groups have raised concerns that customers are being charged excessive amounts by some agents for claiming routine tax repayments on their behalf and that the terms under which services are provided are not made clear. The aim of the consultation is to seek wider views on the scope of the problem and consider potential solutions.
Asked by: Paul Maynard (Conservative - Blackpool North and Cleveleys)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many deeds or letters of assignment have been sent to HMRC to be lodged on taxpayer records in (a) 2019-20, (b) 2020-21 and (c) 2021-22 to date; how many of those deeds or letters of assignment have been passed to HMRC's Solicitor's Office and Legal Services to check for validity; and how many were subsequently rejected as invalid.
Answered by Lucy Frazer
Information in the form requested is not readily available and could only be obtained, compiled, and collated at a disproportionate cost.