Contacting The Claimant (Info)

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Whenever you need to contact the claimant or their personal acting body for information, you must try to telephone them at the contact number they have given on the claim form or the number obtained from Directory Enquiries.

• If you are able to contact the claimant by telephone, you must first make sure that the person you are speaking to is either the claimant or their acting body before you ask them for the information you need.  Follow the guidance in Confirm Identity
   
• If you are unable to contact the claimant by telephone because their number is ex-directory make sure the Telephone field is completed by entering ‘00000’. This will prevent any further calls to Directory Enquires and help to identify the fact that the claimant cannot be contacted by telephone

Note: If this is a Complex Case, only do this for the ex-directory claimants

• If you are unable to contact them at the first attempt, you must make one further attempt at a different time of the day. For example, if you made the initial call in the morning, then you or a colleague must make a further attempt during the evening

• If you cannot contact the claimant after two separate attempts, send a written enquiry using form TC609 for the information you need

• Record your action in the Application Notes field and the Tax Credit Office (TCO) Management Information System (MIS) and then update the action date for 14 days in the normal way