Chaos caused by new Tax Credit system - Stunell

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Tue 17th Jun 2003

Bungling by the Inland Revenue has left hundreds of Stockport residents in debt after the new Tax Credit system crashed.

Hazel Grove MP, Andrew Stunell said:

"I've received countless letters from distressed families who are at the end of their tether because they are not receiving money they need to pay the bills. Despite the baffling complexity of the form - 12 pages long with 47 pages of notes, some of my constituents applied over 6 months before the system came in to place and are still experiencing problems."

Now Mr Stunell is working with other Liberal Democrat MPs in Parliament calling for a national inquiry.

Mr Stunell has received complaints about persistent payment delay, inaccurate information on claimants leading to payment shortfalls and 'Help-lines' that have proved impossible to get through to.

David Best, a frustrated father of a single working mother dependant on the Tax Credit said, "The system is flawed because it is administered by people who do not understand the devastation caused by its failure."

Andrew Stunell said: "The Tax credit may be well intended but it's absolutely pointless if it's not getting to the people who need it. I and other Liberal Democrat MPs are calling for a full inquiry into how this fiasco arose what steps the Government is now taking to put this right."

ENDS