HMRC confirms how to submit complaints in relation to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme
29 July 2020
HMRC has confirmed how customers who have utilised the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) can submit complaints, should they feel that any mistakes have been made or if they have had to suffer unreasonable delays.
The resounding message is still that HMRC is extremely busy, due to the number of calls it is receiving, and that contacting HMRC unnecessarily puts a strain on essential public services during challenging times. However, there is still information provided about how to make a complaint for anyone who feels they need to do so.
Complaints can be submitted either online, by phone or by post. HMRC has confirmed that it will not treat anyone that has made a complaint any differently as a result, and that it will deal with complaints confidentially, and in a fair manner. HMRC will also keep anyone who has made a complaint up to date with its progress.
In addition to this, HMRC has moved guidance for claimants on the steps to take where they have either overclaimed or underclaimed the grant onto its own page – ‘If you’ve claimed too much or not enough from the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.’
The guidance remains the same, so:
- Claims can be deleted within the online service as long as this is done within 72 hours of the submission of that claim
- If claimants have received too much money, they must pay this back to HMRC either by informing HMRC as part of their next online claim or by contacting HMRC to pay the money back directly (this should only be done where there is no intention to submit any further claims)
- HMRC must be notified about grant overclaims by claimants, where they have not been repaid, by the latest of 90 days after the date they received the grant they were not entitled to, 90 days after the date they received the grant they were no longer entitled to because their circumstances changed or 20 October 2020. If the deadlines are not observed, then claimants may face a penalty
- For underclaims, claimants must contact HMRC to amend their claim, and HMRC may need to perform additional checks before paying the additional sums
The information in this article is accurate at the time of publication. For all the latest information, news and resources on how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting payroll professions, visit our Coronavirus hub.