HMRC Real-Time Information System (Universal Credit)

The request was refused by HM Revenue and Customs.

Dear HM Revenue and Customs,

Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (“HMRC”) real-time information system (“RTI”) is essential for Universal Credit (“UC”) to operate correctly. It has been widely reported that the DWP and the HMRC work closely together to identify and resolve any problems with the RTI.

It is reasonable to assume that there is a formal process by which the HMRC notify the DWP of any problems (sometimes known and incident reports or bug reports within the IT sector) that it is experiencing with the RFI. It is also reasonable to assume that there is a process for the DWP to notify HMRC of the same.

HMRC will note the Information Commissioner’s guidance on interpreting requests as widely as possible. Therefore if the method of communicating the type of problems described is not known as incident reporting that does not allow HMRC to state that it does not hold the requested information.

RFI1 – Please disclose all incident reports submitted by HMRC to the DWP in the previous 12 months in respect of the RTI system (e.g. bugs, faults, performance issues, inaccuracies in the data etc).

RFI2 – Please disclose all incident reports or problems related to the RTI submitted by the DWP to HMRC in the previous 12 months in (e.g. bugs, faults, performance issues, inaccuracies in the data etc).

RFI3 – Please disclose the approach employed by HMRC and the DWP to collaborate on the RTI system. For example there may be a joint steering committee or it could be a specific item discussed at UC programme board meetings. Please explain how the work of any such group/team (e.g. decisions, actions etc) are recorded.

Yours faithfully,

John Slater

foi.team@hmrc.gsi.gov.uk on behalf of FOI Central Team, HM Revenue and Customs

Our ref: FOI2017/01614

Dear Mr Slater,

Freedom of Information Act 2000 Acknowledgement

Thank you for your communication of 4th September which has been passed to
HMRC's Freedom of Information Team.

We have allocated the above reference which you should quote if you need
to contact us.

The Team will arrange for a reply to be sent to you which will either
comply with HMRC's obligations under Freedom of Information Act or, if we
think it's an enquiry that we don't need to address under the terms of the
Act, let you know why. If it is the latter we will, if possible, pass it
on to a more appropriate part of the Department for answer.

Yours sincerely

HMRC Freedom of Information Act Team

Dear HM Revenue and Customs,

Your ref: FOI2017/01614

Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.

I am writing to request an internal review of HM Revenue and Customs's handling of my FOI request 'HMRC Real-Time Information System (Universal Credit)'.

HMRC should have provided its response on 2 October 2017. Therefore it has now breached section 10(1) FOIA.

A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/h...

Yours faithfully,

John Slater

Dear HM Revenue and Customs,

Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.

I am writing to request an internal review of HM Revenue and Customs's handling of my FOI request 'HMRC Real-Time Information System (Universal Credit)'.

HMRC has still failed to respond despite my request being over 2 months old. Please comply with the FOIA and supply a response.

A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/h...

Yours faithfully,

John Slater

foi.team@hmrc.gsi.gov.uk on behalf of FOI Central Team, HM Revenue and Customs

1 Attachment

Dear Mr Slater,

I am writing in response to your recent communication with us on 18
November 2017 regarding your Freedom of Information request.

Please see attached a copy of our response. I apologise for the delay.

Yours sincerely,

HMRC Freedom of Information Team

Dear HM Revenue and Customs,

Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.

I am writing to request an internal review of HM Revenue and Customs's handling of my FOI request 'HMRC Real-Time Information System (Universal Credit)'.

Thank you for your response, albeit 2 months later that it should have been. Whilst the incident system described sounds highly dubious I will reluctantly accept HMRC response and submit a new request in the near future seeking the complete database on incidents and problems for the RTI system. HMRC will then be able to redact the information that is subject to S.40 and S.44(1)(a).

However, HMRC has still failed to provide the information I requested in RFI3:
“RFI3 – Please disclose the approach employed by HMRC and the DWP to collaborate on the RTI system. For example there may be a joint steering committee or it could be a specific item discussed at UC programme board meetings. Please explain how the work of any such group/team (e.g. decisions, actions etc) are recorded.”

This information can clearly be provided within the statutory cost limits. I look forward to a prompt response and will inform the Information Commissioner that HMRC is still failing to provide the information I requested.

A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/h...

Yours faithfully,

John Slater

foi.team@hmrc.gsi.gov.uk on behalf of FOI Central Team, HM Revenue and Customs

Our ref: IR2018/00069

Dear Mr Slater,

Freedom of Information Act 2000 Acknowledgement

Thank you for your communication of 9th January which has been passed to
HMRC's Freedom of Information Team.

We have allocated the above reference which you should quote if you need
to contact us.

The Team will arrange for a reply to be sent to you which will either
comply with HMRC's obligations under Freedom of Information Act or, if we
think it's an enquiry that we don't need to address under the terms of the
Act, let you know why. If it is the latter we will, if possible, pass it
on to a more appropriate part of the Department for answer.

Yours sincerely

HMRC Freedom of Information Act Team

foi.team@hmrc.gsi.gov.uk on behalf of FOI Central Team, HM Revenue and Customs

1 Attachment

Dear Mr Slater,

I am writing in response to your request for information, received 9th
January.

Yours sincerely,

HMRC Freedom of Information Team

Dear HM Revenue and Customs,

Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.

I am writing to request an internal review of HM Revenue and Customs's handling of my FOI request 'HMRC Real-Time Information System (Universal Credit)'.
Thank you for your response to my IRR. I’m afraid I do not agree with HMRC application of Section 12 and neither will the Commissioner.

The Commissioner’s guidance on Section 12 is clear that HMRC should have advised what information could be provided within cost limits in order to meet its Section 16 obligation.

I was clear in my IRR that I reluctantly accepted HMRC response in respect of RF1 and RFI2. However I do not accept that RFI3 cannot be provide within statutory cost limits. The scope of RFI3 is not “very wide” as claimed. It simply asks:

“RFI3 – Please disclose the approach employed by HMRC and the DWP to collaborate on the RTI system. For example there may be a joint steering committee or it could be a specific item discussed at UC programme board meetings. Please explain how the work of any such group/team (e.g. decisions, actions etc) are recorded. “

Quite how responding to this would require the work outlined in HMRC response is beyond me.

The Commissioner’s published Section 12 guidance is repeated below:

“Indicate what information can be provided within the appropriate limit

62. A public authority should inform the requestor of what information can be provided within the appropriate limit. This is important for two reasons: firstly, because a failure to do so may result in a breach of section 16. Secondly, because doing so is more useful than just advising the requestor to ‘narrow’ the request or be more specific in focus. Advising requestors to Requests where the cost of compliance exceeds the appropriate limit narrow their requests without indicating what information a public authority is able to provide within the limit, will often just result in requestors making new requests that still exceed the appropriate limit.”

It seems absurd to make me complain to the Commissioner when it is obvious the RFI3 can be provided within cost limits. I hope that common sense prevails.

A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/h...

Yours faithfully,

John Slater