Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent steps he has taken to ensure adequate HMRC phone line performance.

Improving day-to-day performance is one of the Government’s key priorities for HMRC.

In 2025-26, HMRC met its headline telephony performance target with 85.1% of customers who wanted to speak to an adviser having their call answered.

HMRC continue to invest in new technology to improve their telephony service.

HMRC are also expanding their digital services so taxpayers can self-serve online, for example through the HMRC app. As more people self-serve online, HMRC’s advisers are able to focus on helping those who are digitally excluded, have complex queries or need extra support.

In July 2026, HMRC set out further information on its wider programme of service improvement in its Transformation Roadmap Update 2026, which can be found here:

www.gov.uk/government/publications/hmrc-transformation-roadmap-progress-update-2026