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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/jun/08/hmrc-staff-scouring-net-for-microfiche-readers-to-access-work-records
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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| HMRC staff scouring net for microfiche readers to access work records | HMRC staff scouring net for microfiche readers to access work records |
| (3 months later) | |
| Tax officials have been forced to “scour the internet” for spare parts for decrepit microfiche readers to try to cut delays in providing employment histories for compensation claims, the HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) chief has revealed. | Tax officials have been forced to “scour the internet” for spare parts for decrepit microfiche readers to try to cut delays in providing employment histories for compensation claims, the HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) chief has revealed. |
| Jon Thompson accepted the organisation faced a challenge processing applications as he heard complaints from an MP that people were being forced to wait more than a year for their details. | Jon Thompson accepted the organisation faced a challenge processing applications as he heard complaints from an MP that people were being forced to wait more than a year for their details. |
| Thompson told the Commons Treasury committee that most of the pre-1970s records were on microfiche, but there were a dwindling number of operational machines left to access them. | Thompson told the Commons Treasury committee that most of the pre-1970s records were on microfiche, but there were a dwindling number of operational machines left to access them. |
| The Labour committee member John Mann said the wait had reached 383 days and was a significant problem for groups such as those affected by exposure to asbestos – or their widows. An HMRC spokesman said such health cases were prioritised. | The Labour committee member John Mann said the wait had reached 383 days and was a significant problem for groups such as those affected by exposure to asbestos – or their widows. An HMRC spokesman said such health cases were prioritised. |
| Individuals are able to request their employment history if they are making a compensation claim for an industrial injury, a road accident, medical negligence or hardship – such as claiming through a benevolent fund or charity. | Individuals are able to request their employment history if they are making a compensation claim for an industrial injury, a road accident, medical negligence or hardship – such as claiming through a benevolent fund or charity. |
| However HMRC has only 36 operational microfiche machines and even those break down frequently, sparking hunts for rare replacement parts or engineers with the skills to fit them. | However HMRC has only 36 operational microfiche machines and even those break down frequently, sparking hunts for rare replacement parts or engineers with the skills to fit them. |
| Officials said searches were time-consuming as they involved going through data manually, often on the basis of limited information, despite requests to the public to be as specific as possible. | Officials said searches were time-consuming as they involved going through data manually, often on the basis of limited information, despite requests to the public to be as specific as possible. |
| Thompson conceded that he did not anticipate any significant improvement in the short term. “We do recognise that it is a problem for us. We visited Newcastle last Friday where this work takes place,” he said. | Thompson conceded that he did not anticipate any significant improvement in the short term. “We do recognise that it is a problem for us. We visited Newcastle last Friday where this work takes place,” he said. |
| “The records are essentially people’s national insurance records, which identify their employer and allow them to open up potential insurance claims against their employer for previous histories. The challenge we have is that these records go back several decades to when records were kept in a very different way. The majority of these records from before the mid-1970s are on microfiche.” | “The records are essentially people’s national insurance records, which identify their employer and allow them to open up potential insurance claims against their employer for previous histories. The challenge we have is that these records go back several decades to when records were kept in a very different way. The majority of these records from before the mid-1970s are on microfiche.” |
| He added: “The microfiche records from the 1940s and 1950s are very hard to access but we need to think about what we can do. The machines necessary to identify the issue aren’t made any more. We need to scour various parts of the internet to repair the machines in order to be able to provide the service.” | He added: “The microfiche records from the 1940s and 1950s are very hard to access but we need to think about what we can do. The machines necessary to identify the issue aren’t made any more. We need to scour various parts of the internet to repair the machines in order to be able to provide the service.” |