Reform UK links HMRC staff pay to service performance targets

Reform UK has proposed a policy that would tie the remuneration of HMRC customer service officers to strict performance metrics, with the potential for fines and dismissal if waiting times exceed prescribed limits. Under the plan, which is designed to support small business owners, tax officials would be required to keep telephone waiting times below 30 minutes. The party stated that taxpayers and business operators who wait longer than this threshold would receive a £30 tax credit at the end of the year. This proposal targets one of the largest public sector employers, which currently employs 70,000 staff.

Robert Jenrick, the party’s Treasury spokesman, described the initiative as a measure to restore basic fairness within the tax system. He cited research indicating that 50,000 calls are terminated by HMRC without assistance being provided when call durations surpass 70 minutes. Further data presented by the party suggests that the loss of 14 million hours of taxpayer time on HMRC lines has resulted in approximately £275 million in lost productivity for the UK economy. Jenrick emphasised that the party is simply asking officials to perform their duties effectively, while asserting that companies exploiting the taxpayer would face difficult conditions under a Reform government.

The proposal forms part of a broader suite of policies aimed at reducing regulatory burdens for small businesses, which includes replacing GDPR with a lighter data protection regime and raising the VAT threshold to £150,000. However, senior party figures have recently clashed with large UK corporations over migration controls. Zia Yusuf, the home affairs spokesman, has criticised Serco, Deliveroo and Vodafone regarding asylum hotels, illegal migrant employment and SIM card issuance. Reform UK will hold its party conference in Birmingham on the first weekend of September, where it plans to host its first designated business day to engage with industry leaders.