HMRC's tax credits firm Concentrix ‘received calls from suicidal customers’
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Version 0 of 1. The company used by the Government to reduce tax credit payments has received calls from “suicidal” customers, a whistleblower has claimed. The member of staff from US firm Concentrix also claimed staff were not trained in how to handle the calls, according to the BBC. He reportedly claimed he and other employees were not offered counselling to help cope with the trauma of handling the calls, but were instead told: "Have a smoke... you'll be fine." Concentrix denied the accusations and told The Independent it provided as much support as possible. “There is a process to follow as per HMRC guidelines and Concentrix staff are trained in exactly the same way as HMRC staff. It is important to realise that our staff are not counsellors and we would never position them as such,” a Concentrix spokesperson said in a statement. “There are experts who should be involved in situations like these and our staff are trained to ensure those external experts, like the police, are engaged. “We have sought guidance from HMRC, so that our staff are supported as much as possible where we have encountered this type of scenario.” Concentrix also said members of staff were told to keep suicidal callers on the line so managers could phone the police and officers could go to the addresses to make sure they were safe. “Should this scenario arise, we follow the guidelines provided to us by HMRC," the statement said. "All Concentrix staff are trained in the same way as HMRC staff members and we are prepared for situations such as this. Our staff conduct themselves professionally at all times.” The firm was awarded the £75 million contract by HMRC but was told last week, after a series of high profile mistakes, it would not have its services renewed. The current deal is set to expire in May 2017. The Independent has contacted HMRC for comment. |