Reform UK Proposes £30 Tax Credit for HMRC Call Delays
New 'delay, repay' scheme targets long wait times, alongside GDPR overhaul and business tax relief plans.
Carla Rooney
Reform UK has unveiled a policy offering a £30 tax credit to individuals enduring over 30 minutes on hold with HM Revenue and Customs.
Robert Jenrick, outlining the proposed 'delay, repay' scheme, stated a Reform government would offer Britons a tax credit if they endure lengthy waits to speak to tax officials. He asserted this would provide a "big incentive to actually provide proper customer service."
The proposed policy would limit the tax credit to two occasions per tax year to prevent abuse. Reform UK estimates the scheme would cost £70 million annually.
Jenrick declared, "Frankly, it is offensive to working people and I have had enough." He further stated that to ensure staff hit their targets, "we'll tie the pay of senior HMRC officials to their customer service performance."
Frankly, it is offensive to working people and I have had enough.
A Public Accounts Committee report from January 2025 previously accused HMRC of intentionally degrading its telephone service to push taxpayers towards digital channels. This assessment aligns with claims that HMRC's treatment of taxpayers was 'offensive to working people'.
National Audit Office data reveals approximately 50,000 calls to HMRC were terminated without resolution because they exceeded the 70-minute waiting time. Additionally, nearly 44,000 customers were reportedly cut off without warning after waiting over an hour in 2024.
Reform UK claims HMRC wasted 14 million hours of taxpayers' time on the phone during 2023/24, equating to £275 million in lost productivity. Between April and June this year, customers reportedly waited an average of 11 minutes and 35 seconds for their call to be answered.
Beyond the tax credit, Reform UK proposes replacing the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) with rules modelled on New Zealand's privacy legislation. Robert Jenrick claims GDPR had 'strangled' tech firms and small enterprises.
Labour, however, accused Reform UK of wanting to 'scrap vital safeguards that protect people's private data' with its 'unworkable and unserious plans'.
Further economic plans outlined by Robert Jenrick include widening a tax-relief scheme for investors in small businesses and reversing Labour's hike to employer National Insurance contributions. The Federation of Small Business reports the average small business owner spends 44 hours and £4,500 a year complying with tax laws, a 10% rise from 2021.
Jenrick also claims that dropping 'net zero dogma' and green taxes/levies would save the average household £200 off their energy bill. This comes amidst reports that Ofgem's energy price cap is set to rise in October.