Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of HMRC's timeframes for handling complaints.

HMRC report regularly their complaints handling performance and publish data every month on GOV.UK. The average complaints handling time of 17 days for new complaints received was also reported in HMRC’s 2019-20 Annual Report and Accounts.

HMRC’s complaints regime also includes the option of escalation to an independent Adjudicator. The latest Adjudicator’s annual report can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-adjudicators-office-annual-report-2021. The Adjudicator’s remit includes the timeframe for responding to complaints.

HMRC remain committed to learning from the real-time feedback provided, together with other sources of customer insight as they continue working towards improving all elements of their service.