Tax credits: getting it wrong?

Appendix A

Complaints received by the Ombudsman on tax credits matters 1 April 2005 – 30 September 2007

Business year 1 April 2005 to 31 March 2006
19.1 % of PCA workload

Business year 1 April 2006 to 31 March 2007
20.6% of PCA workload

Business year 1 April 2007 to 31 August 2007
26.4% of PCA workload

Business year	Number of cases taken on for investigation	Number of cases reported on in year
05/06	404	299
O6/07	120	393

Proportion of cases upheld in whole or in part

Business year	Tax credits cases	Parliamentary Ombudsman cases generally
05/06	90%	54%
O6/07	74%	63%

Casework themes	04/05	05/06	06/07
Overpayment	72%	86%	91%
Problems with Tax Credit Office information, explanations, advice	32%	20%	11%
Problems with Tax Credit Office records	31%	41%	19%
Complaint handling	29%	30%	10%
Underpayments, ceased payments, etc	17%	9%	6%
Failure to reply	14%	9%	2%
Delays	11%	8%	3%
Errors processing claim	11%	11%	2%
Telephone helpline	9%	9%	2%

Last updated: 9 October 2007