3 Providing cost-effective support for
older people
11. The Department encourages taxpayers seeking
information to use the most cost-effective method that meets their
need, whether by telephone, post, the internet or face-to-face
meetings. It recognises that people have different needs and that
the most cost-effective method will not necessarily be the same
for everyone. The complexities of many older people's tax affairs
meant that it cost the Department twice as much on average to
deal with enquiries from older people compared to other taxpayers.
The Department recognised that handling the tax affairs of older
people required a certain level of expertise. It had, therefore,
decided to introduce greater specialisation by staff in dealing
with older people, following successful piloting.[16]
12. The Department was also committed to working
with third parties where they were better placed to provide support
to older people. Initiatives included:
- Participation in the cross-government
'Tell Us Once' service being piloted by the Department for Work
and Pensions in the North West and South East of England. The
service enables the bereaved to tell the various authorities about
a death just once;
- Working with the Department for Work and Pensions
and local authorities to improve information for older people
on their obligations as an employer, if they employed a carer
and had to operate PAYE, and
- Pilots on working with large employers to provide
information to people approaching retirement covering questions
that the Department was commonly asked.[17]
13. In July 2009, the Government launched its
strategy 'Building a society for all ages'. This included plans
to introduce from 2010 a one-stop shop to offer online, telephone
and face-to-face support in one place to those who want to plan
ahead. The Department supported the concept of the one-stop shop,
but had only recently become involved in the planning of this
initiative and in determining the best way to use it to provide
tax information and support to older people.[18]
14. Older people were less likely to contact
the Department even though around 36% do not understand their
obligations, compared to 26% of all taxpayers. The Department
was unclear why this was the case. It thought older people could
find completing official documents daunting and they sought advice
more readily from family and friends, and voluntary organisations.[19]
The Department acknowledged that the third sector had an important
role in providing support to older people on tax issues. In 2008-09
it provided £165,000 to a range of third sector organisations,
including Age Concern, the Life Academy and TaxHelp for Older
People. The Department recognised that third sector groups needed
longer term funding in order for them to reach more of the people
the Department was trying to target. Future funding, however,
would depend on an evaluation of their success as part of a forthcoming
review of the Department's total grant-in-aid.[20]
15. The importance of providing support through
a variety of third parties was becoming increasingly important
as the Department sought to provide the best possible customer
service while reducing costs and increasing efficiency.[21]
It was reviewing its arrangements for access to its enquiry centres
as part of this. The total number of people visiting the Department's
280 centres had reduced by some two million in recent years and
only 15% of those who did visit actually required an interview.
It was taking account of factors such as the number of visitors
to individual centres, and the nature of the population they served,
in determining the future demand for face-to-face contact.[22]
16. The Department acknowledged that older people
often preferred face-to-face contact. It confirmed that it would
not remove this facility where it was needed, and that it would
look at extending the opening hours of enquiry centres in areas
where there was a high proportion of people, including older people,
who needed such a service. With the help of the third sector,
it was also piloting mobile advice services to reach older people
who were not able to visit enquiry centres.[23]
16 Q 16; C&AG's Report, paras 2.6, 4.2 and 4.4 Back
17
Qq 59-62 and 114; C&AG's Report, para 3.25 Back
18
Qq 19 and 20; C&AG's Report, paras 1.9 and 4.12 Back
19
Qq 22 and 115; C&AG's Report, para 4.3 Back
20
Qq 33, 57 and 58 Back
21
Qq 91 and 94 Back
22
Qq 18, 54, 55 and 80; C&AG's Report, para 4.10 Back
23
Qq 18, 54, 78, 82 and 83 Back
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