Hayling father successfully testifies against unfair tax credit cuts in parliament

A DAD-of-three has won his fight with the government over having his tax credits unfairly cut.

Paul Eite, from Hayling Island, stopped receiving the credits in August, after the firm brought in to tackle fraud wrongly said that he was no longer eligible.

But yesterday a committee heard evidence from a panel of claimants including Paul, 39, and ruled in their favour.

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Paul said: ‘We cannot have wished for a better result after the last two months of hell.

‘I’ve been crying after the committee today – it’s been unbelievable.’

Paul was first contacted by Concentrix in May.

The firm claimed that the he still lived with his former partner, and was therefore not eligible for his weekly allowance of £106.

Paul says that he responded to the letter on the same day, but Concentrix claims that it never received his reply.

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He also received a letter from HMRC stating that he had been overpaid £5,100 in tax credits.

Paul said: ‘I would like to see compensation from Concentrix, not from HMRC.

‘They have earned enough in this to compensate us.

‘We also want HMRC to learn from its mistakes and to not outsource this highly-important resource to external companies.’

American firm Concentrix was contracted by HMRC in 2014 to cut tax credit fraud.

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It was announced last month that HMRC will not be extending the contract with the corporation when it is up for renewal in May 2017.

The work and pensions committee berated Concentrix and HMRC for ‘repeated buck-passing’ and ‘appalling customer service’.

The Rt Hon Frank Field MP, chairman of the work and pensions committee, said: ‘The committee was astonished by the extraordinary evidence we heard. From Concentrix, we saw a company desperately out of its depth and unable to deliver on the contract awarded by HMRC. 
 ‘From senior HMRC officials, we saw a palpable disregard for the human implications of this gross failure of public service.

‘From the tax credit claimants, we saw dignity in the face of appalling and traumatic experiences. We have no doubt that many people similarly affected have been unable to come forward.

‘I welcome HMRC’s swift action on the Concentrix contract, but that does not excuse them for ever having allowed this to happen.’