2019 Loan Charge group's second letter to HMRC's Jon Thompson

A group set up to support contractors affected by the 2019 Loan Charge has written to HMRC’s CEO Jon Thompson, following a letter they sent him which he did not reply to.

Dear Mr Thompson, 

We are astonished that, having written an urgent letter to you alerting you to the fact that we were dealing with individuals reporting suicidal thoughts as a result of the 2019 Loan Charge, that, not only did we hear nothing from HMRC for over three weeks, but you didn’t bother replying to us directly. That is shameful and downright cowardly and something that would be unacceptable for a junior civil servant, never mind someone in your role and on your salary of over £185,000 a year (notably more than the Prime Minister!). 

The letter we have received from Ms. Elsey is equally disgraceful but, as we have come to expect, a typical HMRC response.  She (and you) have ​ignored​ our request: that HMRC need to, as a matter of urgency, set up a 24-hour hotline to deal with citizens facing serious anxiety and ​suicidal thoughts​ as a result of the letters and demands being received ​from HMRC​ about the 2019 Loan Charge. 

All Ms. Elsey has offered (almost as if making a sick joke) is to “help people put their tax affairs right!”. Considering we raised with you the very real threat of people taking their own lives as a result of your organisation’s actions, ​this is frankly disgusting​. 

We also note that Ms. Elsey is saying that people severely worried about the Loan Charge and the life-destroying impact it will have on them can only access any advice between 8:30am and 4pm, Monday to Friday. So do you expect people who are reporting suicidal thoughts to only do in office hours?! Were it not so serious, this would be laughable. 

It is becoming apparent that you think that you can simply ignore questions put to you. We will not let you get away with that so we ask you again – and expect a straight answer: Will HMRC now set up a 24-hour helpline​, with ​trained counsellors​ (not tax advisers!) to allow all those affected by the 2019 Loan Charge to access ​mental health support​ when they need it (not tax advice!), to prevent tragedies that otherwise will alas be likely to occur. ​If the answer to this is no, please at least have the courage to say so, rather than ignoring the question and passing it on to someone else in the organisation. 

As you know, Stephen Lloyd MP, the Liberal Democrat MP for Eastbourne, also made a request on the floor of the House of Commons at Treasury Questions on the 3rd July for a 24-hour helpline and expressed his serious concern about the mental health and wellbeing of many facing unpayable bills and bankruptcy as a result of the Loan Charge, a situation described by Mr Lloyd as being “caught in a trap”. Disgracefully if alas typically, the Treasury Minister also ignored this. Now Roger Godsiff MP has also raised a suicide prevention hotline to support people facing bankruptcy as a result of the 2019 Loan Charge in a written Parliamentary Question. We hope that you will stop trying to avoid accountability and responsibility and respond to them and to us. 

Claiming that HMRC take your duty of care seriously is as hollow as your claims to take mental health seriously. The truth (as you know) is that the actions of HMRC trigger or exacerbate mental health problems. As you know, HMRC were rightly criticised during the recent Mental Health Awareness Week about for the way it deals with mental health including The Money and Mental Health Policy Institute, yet as usual, you ignored this. 

You (HMRC collectively and as Chief Executive and Director General, personally) cannot and must not ignore or deny the reality of the impact of the Loan Charge. HMRC have now seen in the region of a hundred impact statements outlining what the Loan Charge will do to individuals and their families. Despite the quite clearly woefully inadequate (and potentially therefore negligent) HMRC impact assessment that was carried out, you now know that the Loan Charge will cause bankruptcies for many thousands, relationship and family breakups, mental health issues and, sadly, as you have now been informed, people are threatening to take their own lives. So HMRC and HM Treasury must now accept their responsibility for implementing this policy and the devastating consequences of doing so. 

We look forward to your response as a matter of urgency and this time expect a reply from you personally and expect an answer to the simple but very important question you deliberately ignored.

Yours sincerely,

Steve Packham

Andrew Earnshaw

Richard Horsley

On behalf of the Loan Charge Action Group.