HMRC signs up 10 DCAs following mega-tender - 26/05/2011

[PGH7447]

HM Revenue and Customs has selected 10 debt collection agencies (DCAs) to work placements valued at between £500m and £1.5bn following a tender process.Credit Today understands that the agencies selected are: Apex Credit Management, Direct Legal Collections, Fairfax Solicitors, iQor, Rossendales, CCS Collect, CCSG, Advantis, Fredrickson International, and Close Credit Management-----------------So these fool companies have now got a licence to hassle people over tax debts, it gets worse and worse

[Revenant]

Not good news for any one on the receiving end PGH

 

The only hope is that HMRC might just might be a bit more proactive when it comes to complaints being made

 

Just have to wait and see how long it takes for new threads to appear

 

R

[Jasper1965]

So these fool companies have now got a licence to hassle people over tax debts, it gets worse and worse

 

And as people will probably discover they will be given access to even more information about us than they are currently permitted, records of national insurance numbers, annual earnings, addresses etc.

I predict a sharp rise in consumer credit tracing and enforcement activity as a nice little sideline to being able to access the level of information available to HMRC.

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

One of the biggest problems I foresee is the fact these DCA's will have

no understanding of the ''benefit debt'' scenario and will give no consideration to

the most vulnerable people.

A company like Fairfax Solicitors (of whom I have experience) constantly miss quote

regulation and appertaining to the benefits system and no doubt all the others will do the same!!!

[unclebulgaria67]

I think questions need to be asked of MP's and then HMRC, about how these DCA's will fully comply with all of the Data Protection principles, to ensure that peoples data is not missued. Once the DCA's have any data on their systems, what controls do they have to have in place to make sure it is only used for the purposes of fulfiling the HMRC contract and not for any other debt collection purposes ? In regard to processing information to the Credit Reference Agencies, what controls are in place to ensure that they don't use the HMRC process to as a tool to gather data, useful for other purposes not related to the HMRC debt collection contract ?

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

At a guess unc and having recently dealt with Fairfax on anothers behalf the it was quite plain that have no knowledge of any

thing related to the benefits system or the Tax systems and intend to pursue these alleged debt as they would any other.

With HMRC also using these DCA's I have little doubt that misuse of personal data will occur.

I have as you may have seen been on the case of the CRA's for some time and in touch with my MP who strangely

enough has gone very quiet since this information came out.

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

I have just e-mailed my MP to ask what assurances and checks are in place to assure

that the appointed DCA:s comply strictly to all legislation regulation and guidance in place.

[harrassed senior]

Well my sister is already at the receiving end of this! I will not go into details, but surfice to say were it not for what I have learned on this site she would honestly have committed suicide by now. The HMRC tactics were highlighted on Watchdog last week and according to them MPs in Parliament are already 'up in arms' about the wording of the threat letters direct from HMRC, let alone the DCA involved

 

When she was informed that her case would be passed to a DCA I wrote a letter on her behalf revoking any rights HMRC thought they had to pass on her personal information as held by them - fat lot of good that did me.

 

I did not open a thread on this, but if you think it will help now that you feel others may be posting I will be more than glad too - would make good reading!

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

Hi HS,

 

I am doing this because a had to fight Fairfax and others on behalf of a relation the lack of knowledge shown was staggering

with the DCA stating that benefits over payments etc cannot become stat barred and that they could recover from any benefit

means tested or not, insisting that no offer of payment could b accepted without full I/E details and bank statements.

In the out come the DCA stated in writing that the debt was SB when in fact it was not, out come DWP stated as the DWP

had made errors the debt would no longer be chased and no court action will be taken.

[DonkeyB]

Well my sister is already at the receiving end of this! I will not go into details, but surfice to say were it not for what I have learned on this site she would honestly have committed suicide by now. The HMRC tactics were highlighted on Watchdog last week and according to them MPs in Parliament are already 'up in arms' about the wording of the threat letters direct from HMRC, let alone the DCA involved

 

When she was informed that her case would be passed to a DCA I wrote a letter on her behalf revoking any rights HMRC thought they had to pass on her personal information as held by them - fat lot of good that did me.

 

I did not open a thread on this, but if you think it will help now that you feel others may be posting I will be more than glad too - would make good reading!

 

The HMRC response on Watchdog to the fact that their bailiff claims were false and baseless, because they required a CCJ first, was ‘well, it gets us a good response’. So that’s OK then? Holding a gun to someone’s head would also get a good response.

 

(And a cleaning bill.)

[brokebutnotbeatn]

This just beggars belief. How can due dilligence have been done properly as a quick Google search reveals the ineptitude of these companies? It is very scarey indeed. I just hope they are as inept at cross referencing their own data as theya re knowing the regulations...

[alfwithhair]

I have just emailed my MP to see what his response is

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

I hope you are a patient man Alf:jaw: there is a bank hol so they probably got 3 wee:wink:ks off

[PGH7447]

From the HMRC Website re data sharing

 

Information we may give to others

 

If the law allows, we may give information about you to:

• other government departments and similar bodies
  
• the police and law enforcement agencies
  
• the courts, on production of a valid court order
  
• foreign tax and customs authorities.
  
• 
  

So I dont see in there any mention of DCA's being allowed my/your information

[Tootles1971]

From the HMRC Website re data sharing

 

Information we may give to others

 

If the law allows, we may give information about you to:

 

• other government departments and similar bodies
  
• the police and law enforcement agencies
  
• the courts, on production of a valid court order
  
• foreign tax and customs authorities.
  
• 
  

So I dont see in there any mention of DCA's being allowed my/your information

 

While we're on the subject of data sharing, how is it that companies are allowed to pass on details to a third party agency anyway? Is there some sort of cover-all in the DPA to allow data to be passed to debt collection agencies etc?

[PGH7447]

and then there is this

 

What happens if you ignore a payment demand

 

Ignoring a demand does not make the debt go away. If you don't respond you may be charged additional interest, penalties and surcharges. Your debt may be referred to a private debt collection agency and during 2010-11 HMRC will be using the following agencies to pursue some debts on their behalf:

Commercial Collection Services Ltd

Credit Solutions Ltd

Fairfax Solicitors Ltd

iQor Recovery Services Ltd

 

So they admit they are private debt collection agencies so that means this contradicts the excerpt from post 14 and they are giving our private information away to a non authorised private body

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

I doubt if anything has yet been drafted to protect the public with regard the use of and the sharing of personal data

once the DCA's and CRA's have access to government files on individuals for the collection of alleged debt it would be

juvenile to assume that no abuse will occur, despite the quotes above , new regulation or legislation may be enacted

negating the so called protection will easily be removed.

The fact that DCA's are not mentioned now does not mean such information has not already shared!!!! and will continue to be so.

[queensclose]

we could do with template. so we could all email our MPs

[casper1963]

we could do with template. so we could all email our MPs

 

now that would be usefull

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

You need to just put your case in simple term politicians may be high minded but have short attention spans

for matters that do not affect them personally, so state exactly what you want to say no template can beat personal feeling.

[bernardski]

Seriously, with a list of cowboys like that im truly shocked not to see HFO or LOWLIFES on it!!!!

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

I don't think even the last government which came up with this cretinous idea would sink THAT LOW!!!!

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

On 2nd. Thoughts:madgrin:

[bernardski]

Its madness, once they make a few pensioners hand over their weekly check and hand it on to HMRC the so called government agency will in turn will overlook the bad and illegal practices that all of these agencies have been using to extort monies from people who can ill afford to pay it.

 

Whats the betting that there threat'o'grammes will soon be carrying the HMRC logo and saying collection agent of HMRC on it??

I truly expect they will do this to frighten people into paying as it will appear they are coming from government agencies!

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

those tactics are already out there as long a s 18months ago and it is not going to stop this was I believe by the last

government after the catastrophic debacle or the tax credits and the CSA.