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Why do we have to claim anyway?
What baffles me is why anyone has to claim anyway. The Revenue know, or should know, what we all earn, either through the PAYE system or SA Returns, so they should just pay the tax credits automatically. If they need additional data, not collected through either of those systems, then the level of income should prompt an enquiry for that information to assess the exact level of credit due.
Of course I know really why we have to claim, because it was an ill-thought out, knee-jerk policy, with no thought given to implementation and how the data would be collected in an organisation that has disparate systems and an historically abismal record in IT projects. So some poor sod, probably working from scant guidance, had to make it up in double quick time to meet some political target.
But hey-ho, chaos is very good for employment, you need loads of people to manage chaos.
Rant over.
Ur-hum
"It is nonsense to say that the tax credit system was to blame in this case when it was HMRC which was first to identify the Network Rail fraud".
How does it get as far as fraud then and not attempted fraud?
Given how difficult it is for genuine claimants to now get their awards (for a new claim you can no longer claim online, no longer check if you're eligible online, and agents can only request one form at a time for one individual) how is this not in part the Revenue's fault?
All these cases are identifiable by their National Insurance references. This can then be checked to their income details via PAYE or self assessment records in the vast majority of cases before any award is actually paid out.
I think the truth is nearer to information not being shared within the Revenue under "Data Protection" claims (brought in due to problems with the honesty of a very small number of staff working there)and pure lack of determination by staff to take reposibility and get issues resolved properly (i.e. not file it in the bin). The information's there, it takes ages for the claims to be processed - why aren't these checks done properly?
Indentity theft made easier?
Identity theft may be getting easier because of attempts to check whether someone is allowed to work in this country. Many agencies and employers now request details, including NI details for prospective employees and even for non-employed sub-contractors. I bet many of the copies of these documents get recycled or filed in the bin.