WEIR CHALLENGES TAX CREDIT COMPUTER FAILURES

SYSTEM FAILING ANGUS CONSTITUENTS

Angus MP Mike Weir has challenged the government on the continuing failures of the Tax Credit Computer system.

Speaking during a Commons debate on the Tax Credit system Mr Weir repeatedly raised the failures of the system which was having a devastating effect on many of his constituents in Angus.  Mr Weir challenged Chief Secretary to the Treasury Stephen Timms who was defending the flexibility of the system.

“I agree that flexibility is essential to the system, but if my constituents try to provide information to officers, it is often not entered into the system or is not entered correctly so that it cannot be found if there is a problem”

He cited the case of a letter he received in response to a particular case

“It said that they could not retrieve information from the system to tell me whether my constituent had been overpaid, underpaid or paid the correct amount. My constituent is beside herself with worry. There is a serious problem in the system as it cannot deal with flexibility.”

Speaking after the debate Mr Weir, who had previously held an adjournment debate to raise problems with several cases in Angus, said he was not satisfied with government assurances on the system.

“It may well be true that many suffer no problems but in an increasing number of case there are serious errors, and once it starts to go wrong it seems to go spectacularly wrong and there is no method of human intervention to put it right.”

“It is a sad indictment of a system that is supposed to help people on low incomes that several constituents have indicated to me that they are so dispirited by their experience that they will no longer apply for credits. If action is not taken soon the system will go the same way as the discredited Child Support Agency.”