TCM0317020 - Extra information: access to system information to obtain missing customer information: when to access a system
Previous Year Income
Employment
Benefit Changes
Child or Young Person in Full Time Education (FTE)
Child Changes
Address
This guidance tells you when to access IT systems to obtain missing customer information.
If you are unable to contact a customer by telephone to obtain information to progress their claim you can now access the relevant IT system and use the information held to progress work in
- Physical Changes
- Unprocessed Changes
- Contact Centre Re-finalisation Referrals
- Ceased Employment
You must firstly attempt to contact the customer to obtain the missing information. For how to do this, use TCM0094080.
Once the system has been accessed to obtain the information you must update the HH notes. For how to do this, use TCM0152160.
Subject to the correct roles and access, staff can access the following systems: FBI, ADD, NIRS, TBS, ChB notes database, PAYE, NPS, SA, Child Benefit Service and PDCS. However, from February 2018, Child Benefit computer systems will be replaced by HMRC IT systems.
Previous Year Income
PY income can be checked to challenge/query the PY income information provided by the customer. Access PAYE, NPS, SA, FBI, ADD to view the customer’s income figures.
Example: Claim was finalised on £10,000, the customer asks us to refinalise it on £3,000 but on checking NPS you can see that the customer had two jobs during the year and the £3,000 is income from the second employment only.
You can then decide not to reconsider the finalisation or go back to the customer to query the income amount provided.
Note: PY income cannot be taken from another system and used to finalise/refinalise an award as they need to be provided by the customer. Correspondence would need to be issued to the customer to obtain these details.
Employment
PAYE, NPS and TBS can be accessed to obtain missing Employment information, for example the employers name and/or address, PAYE number if not provided.
Note: Working hour’s information can only be obtained from the customer.
Benefit Changes
ADD can be accessed to obtain start and end dates, benefit types and amount received
PAYE & FBI can be accessed to obtain amount of benefit received if classed as income for Tax Credits.
Note: If a customer is claiming benefits we should be able to use ADD to obtain start and end dates, benefit type and amount if the benefit is contributions based.
Child or Young Person in Full Time Education (FTE)
Child BenefIt Service can be used to check if a child or young person is in FTE.
Note: Child Benefit Service information can only be used if we have written confirmation that the child or young person is in FTE during the period that ChB was awarded.
Note: FTE end dates must be obtained from the customer and not from Child Benefit Service, as different rules apply.
Child Changes
Child Benefit notes database and Child Benefit Service can be used to check any reported changes that might affect Tax Credits and the date those changes occurred.
Address
Before amending the address check the date of the change, if the date of change is later than the address you hold accept the latest dated address, also consider address history before making any changes.
On joint claims both address must match.
- ADD
- Child Benefit Service
Note: All the above systems can be used to check and verify addresses. You should check these systems first before contacting the customer.