CRG1050 - Introduction: The role of CPST and CCAST
Throughout this guidance you will find reference to two HQ teams: the Complaints Policy and Strategy Team (CPST) and the Central Complaints Advice and Support Team (CCAST). CPST is housed in Central Customer & Strategy Directorate, while CCAST is housed in Customer Directorate. The two teams work closely together and their roles are complementary.
CPST is responsible for:
- policy and guidance on complaints, including redress, and how they are handled in HMRC.
- monitoring changes in customer needs and government policy and making sure our complaint policies and guidance keep pace.
- the Service Level Agreement (SLA) with the Adjudicator.
- measuring and reporting on complaints handling performance across HMRC.
- the HMRC complaints handling system – CHART and ECCS.
Please note we have responsibility for complaints policy only and we are unable to advise about any other specific policy issues.
If you have a query about an operational policy, please consult the Tax Administration Directorate (sharepoint.com) for the appropriate contact.
CCAST is responsible for:
- giving advice on specific cases, including issues concerning financial redress, to business areas across the department, aiming to respond within 5 working days.
- helping with complex or contentious cases to ensure decisions are robust and reflect policy intention
- providing the link between operational complaints handling teams and CPST by feeding operational issues and experiences into the policy making process
- supporting robust complaints handling within business areas
- supporting the Adjudicator’s and Ombudsman’s handling of case enquiries, giving advice and helping to achieve an agreed outcome
- supporting the Processing business in developing a system for learning lessons from complaints
- devising and delivering workshops on improving complaints handling, including financial redress issues and letter writing
- providing assurance to CPST that policy is fit for purpose and is being implemented reasonably and consistently across HMRC.