Although HMRC has made improvements to its childcare website, after facing technical difficulties when it launched in April, total downtime has reached 160 hours with HMRC receiving 1,507 complaints despite 208,000 parents successfully applying for an account
Earlier this month Nicky Morgan, chair of the Treasury Committee wrote to HMRC head Jon Thompson seeking information on the problems with HMRC’s childcare website which resulted in some parents being unable to make claims.
In response, Thompson said: ‘With regard to the problems that some parents have experienced, we are working to improve the way the service works and in the meantime, where necessary, we are issuing 30 hours free childcare codes manually, and are paying parents the government top up for tax-free childcare when they’ve had difficulty accessing the service because of technical issues’.
Overall, 208,000 parents have successfully applied for an account: 100,000 for 30 hours free childcare only; 21,000 for tax-free childcare only; and 87,000 for both.
A further 2,600 parents (1% of applications) need a technical issue to be resolved before they can be eligible for childcare.
HMRC has received 1,507 complaints and 257,407 calls to the helpline about the service with over 90% of complaints concerning technical issues.
The childcare service has been down for 160 hours and eight minutes, including for planned updates and maintenance, since 21 April when the service was launched. However, half was between 10pm and 8am to limit impact with the system being available 94% of the time.
Morgan said: ‘Whilst it is welcome that HMRC has made ‘significant improvements’ to the website since it was launched in April, thousands of parents are still unable to apply for the childcare to which they are entitled in the way that the Government has envisaged. Clearly further improvements are still required.
‘The Committee will no doubt want to question representatives of HMRC on the technical issues with the Childcare Service website when they are called to give evidence.’
Thompson said: ‘Take up of 30 hours free childcare is on track to meet the Department of Education’s estimate that successful parental applications will have generated 200,000 valid 30 hours eligibility codes by 31 August.’
Tax free childcare and 30 hours free childcare are two separate government schemes to help parents with the cost of childcare. Parents can apply for both through one online application on the childcare service website. With tax free childcare for every £8 paid in the government will add an extra £2, up to £2,000 per child each year. With 30 hours free childcare three and four year olds will be entitled to 30 hours free childcare a year.
