Complaints Handling For Tax Credit Office Staff Except Customer Support Unit (AG)

 

To deal with complaints received in and relevant to, the Tax Credit Office (TCO), consider steps 1 – 13 below. The guide is presented as follows

Initial actionSteps 1 - 3
Verify the callerSteps 4 - 5
Dealing with the telephone callSteps 6 - 9
Line manager’s actionSteps 10 - 11
Complaint requires further actionSteps 12 - 13

Go to top of page  Initial action
 
1If the complaint is being made
  • By telephone, go to step 2
(This text has been withheld because of exemptions in the Freedom of Information Act 2000)
  • In writing by letter, fax, e-mail or a printed record of a telephone call, go to step 13
2Is the complaint about a tax credit
  • No, go to step 3
     
  • Yes, go to step 4
3Advise the claimant that
  • Because the complaint is not about tax credits, you will not be able to deal with it
     
  • Instead you will pass the details of the complaint to the relevant department and have someone contact them in the near future
Then
  • Make a note of the details of the complaint and the claimant’s contact details on a form TC648 or on an e-mail
Note: Note on your correspondence that the complaint needs forwarding to another department for them to deal with
  • Send the form TC648 or e-mail to the Post Intake Team Manager at the CSU in Preston
(This text has been withheld because of exemptions in the Freedom of Information Act 2000)
  • Take no further action

Go to top of page  Verify the caller
 
4Verify that you are speaking to the claimant or their authorised representative. Follow the guidance in Confirm Identity
  • Does the caller have the required authority for you to be able to pass information on to them
Note: You should read through any existing Household Notes or Application Notes to be able to confirm this
  • No, go to step 5
     
  • Yes, go to step 6
5Advise the caller that
  • Under the terms of the Data Protection Act you are unable to pass on any information without the written consent of the claimant, so you cannot deal with their call
And
  • Ask them to put their client’s complaint in writing along with the claimant’s letter of consent and post it to the following address
CSU
Tax Credit Office
Preston
PR1 0YP

Then
  • Record details of the action you have taken on the computer
  • If the claim is pre award, use Function CAPTURE APPLICATION and go to the Summary Information screen to enter the details in the Application Notes field
     
  • If the claim is post award, use Function MAINTAIN HOUSEHOLD NOTES to enter the details
Notes:

You must follow the guidance in How To Correctly Complete Application And Household Notes when you record the note

And also

Follow the guidance in Application Notes if the claim is pre award

Or

Follow the guidance in Maintain Household Notes if the claim is post award
  • Take no further action

Go to top of page  Dealing with the telephone call
 
6Note: If the telephone call is from an office of a Member of Parliament (MP), a Member of a Local Assembly (MLA) or a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) advise them that TCO provides a dedicated helpline for Constituency Queries and MPs should call the helpline using the direct contact details that have previously been given

Ask the caller what they are unhappy about and bear the following points in mind when dealing with them (This text has been withheld because of exemptions in the Freedom of Information Act 2000)(This text has been withheld because of exemptions in the Freedom of Information Act 2000)
Then
  • Make a record of your telephone call on a form TC648
     
  • Go to step 7
7Following your conversation and action to resolve the issue, what further action does the claimant want to pursue
  • The claimant is now satisfied and does not wish to continue with the complaint, go to step 8
     
  • The claimant wants to speak to a manager, go to step 9
     
  • The claimant wishes to make a formal complaint, go to step 12
8Record your action on the computer
  • If the claim is pre award, use Function CAPTURE APPLICATION and go to the Summary Information screen to enter the details in the Application Notes field
     
  • If the claim is post award, use Function MAINTAIN HOUSEHOLD NOTES to enter the details
Notes:

You must follow the guidance in How To Correctly Complete Application And Household Notes when you record the note

And also

Follow the guidance in Application Notes if the claim is pre award

Or

Follow the guidance in Maintain Household Notes if the claim is post award
9Inform your line manager that the claimant wishes to speak to a manager about their complaint and ask them to take the telephone call

Note: You must get agreement from your line manager before you escalate an informal complaint. If it is not possible to escalate the telephone call immediately, ask the caller for their contact details and inform them that a manager will telephone them back within 48 hours
  • Pass your line manager the form TC648 and let them know the details of the complaint
Then
  • Go to step 10

Go to top of page  Line manager’s action
 
10Where necessary line managers must make a further attempt to resolve the complaint
  • Are you able to resolve the complaint to the claimant’s satisfaction
  • Yes, go to step 11
     
  • No, go to step 12
11Make a record of the telephone call on the form TC648
  • Record your action on the computer
  • If the claim is pre award, use Function CAPTURE APPLICATION and go to the Summary Information screen to enter the details in the Application Notes field
     
  • If the claim is post award, use Function MAINTAIN HOUSEHOLD NOTES to enter the details
Notes:

You must follow the guidance in How To Correctly Complete Application And Household Notes when you record the note

And also

Follow the guidance in Application Notes if the claim is pre award

Or

Follow the guidance in Maintain Household Notes if the claim is post award

Go to top of page  Complaint requires further action
 
12The complaint now requires further action
  • Advise the claimant that as the complaint now requires further action, they will shortly receive an acknowledgement letter containing the name and contact details of the person who will be dealing with their complaint and in what timescale they will deal with it
Then
  • Go to step 13
13Complaints requiring further action, for example letters of complaint as well as form TC648 records of informal telephone calls that have been escalated should be posted, faxed or e-mailed to
  • Post Intake Team Manager at the CSU in Preston
(This text has been withheld because of exemptions in the Freedom of Information Act 2000)

Note: The CSU Post Intake Team are responsible for the following tasks with regard to formal complaints
  • Categorising
     
  • Recording them on the CSU database
     
  • Sending out acknowledgment letters
     
  • Allocating them to the CSU teams for them to action

 

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