Pensioners and Inland Revenue

I won a special adjournment debate in the House of Commons on 9th June on the subject of :

Pensioners on low incomes and the administrative practices of the Inland Revenue.

You can now read the full details of my speech.

I asked Madam Speaker for this debate because I am increasingly concerned at both the forms our senior citizens are asked to fill in and the way in which pensioners on only small incomes are treated by the tax authorities.

Success

In the debate, I called for:

• The establishment of a Pensioner Unit in the Inland Revenue, to focus on the myriad of problems faced by the elderly taxpayer

• Government support for a new scheme to provide trained volunteers to help pensioners complete tax forms, like schemes already operating in the USA and Canada

• A reduction in the number of forms sent to the elderly by the Inland Revenue through three no-cost administrative changes

Replying to the debate, the Paymaster General, Dawn Primarolo promised to:

• Take forward my idea for a publicly supported national tax volunteer scheme

• Look at my proposal for a Pensioner Unit, with a top Inland Revenue official

• Address the problems I drew attention to with respect to tax codings for pensioners and the administration of tax on annuities

This is a good start for the campaign for low income elderly taxpayers, but I will continue to push for more radical change.

The campaign goes on

I will continue to campaign on this issue so please let me know of your experiences with the Inland Revenue.

If you are a pensioner, have you had problems with the Inland Revenue?

Were you given an incorrect Age Allowance this year?

Or do you know a pensioner who has been sent unnecessary assessment forms to complete?

If you could supply me with experiences of the Inland Revenue - good and bad - that will help me in my Parliamentary campaign on behalf of pensioners.

Thank you for your time.

Please complete the form below.

Tax Victory for Pensioners

Adjournment debate
Full text of speeches on 9/6/2000

Pensioners and the taxman
Informer article

Tell me what you think
about how the Inland Revenue treats pensioners

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Bus to Kingston Hospital

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Informer Article

Current campaigns