New figures reveal scale of benefit and tax chaos
Wednesday 02 May 2012
Printable
EmailChild poverty campaigners warned today that the Con-Dems' cuts could drop half a million youngsters below the poverty line.
And new official figures show that more than 200,000 famiies had all of their working tax credit - worth £3,870 - snatched from them last month.
Child Poverty Action Group chief executive Alison Garnham said: "Many of these parents will now have less money in work than if they just claimed benefits."
And now taxpayers have to wait three times longer on to phone to the tax man than they did two years ago.
Shadow Treasury minister Owen Smith, who got the stats by tabling parliamentary questions, said they showed "chaos and incompetence" at HM Revenue & Customs.
"Families with children are facing massive cuts as a result of the unfair policies, so it's outrageous that they are often struggling to get through for much-needed information."
An HMRC spokeswoman insisted the department was "working hard" to improve the call centre service.
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