HMRC has taken it upon itself to inform me that I'm dead – a shocking twist in my ongoing battle with the tax authorities. The root cause? A national insurance (NI) number mistake that's left me with two numbers, one belonging to someone who's long since passed away.
In 1991, I received this number while working in the UK for six years. Fast forward to 2015, when HMRC couldn't find it on their system and issued a temporary replacement – only to leave it behind after I returned. Despite my repeated attempts to reclaim my original number, including lengthy phone calls and visits to the offices, I've been met with stonewalling.
The most recent development has seen me labeled as "deceased" by HMRC, prompting an application for state pension forecast. It's infuriating to be told I'm dead when, in fact, I'm alive and kicking – albeit with a bit of bureaucratic baggage.
An investigation into how this error occurred seems to have been put on hold indefinitely, with HMRC citing the passage of time as the reason. The reality is that I've spent years chasing my tail, while they've managed to rectify the issue in just five days – an eyebrow-raising display of efficiency.
Now, I'm being told to apply for a new NI number from the Department for Work and Pensions, which will hopefully retrieve and merge my previous numbers. However, with my current employment records entwined with those of someone who's no longer alive, I have low confidence that this process will unfold without major hiccups.
To add insult to injury, HMRC has offered a paltry £250 in compensation – hardly a satisfactory resolution given the distress caused by their botched handling. It's clear that I'll need professional advice to untangle my employment records and ensure I don't miss out on any entitlements or saddled with liabilities as a result of this mess.
Ultimately, HMRC's response has been underwhelming, suggesting that it was only when I threatened to go public with their mistakes that they finally decided to act. As someone who's had enough of being treated like a non-entity by the tax authorities, I'll be keeping a close eye on how things unfold – and hoping for a more satisfactory outcome than the one offered so far.
In 1991, I received this number while working in the UK for six years. Fast forward to 2015, when HMRC couldn't find it on their system and issued a temporary replacement – only to leave it behind after I returned. Despite my repeated attempts to reclaim my original number, including lengthy phone calls and visits to the offices, I've been met with stonewalling.
The most recent development has seen me labeled as "deceased" by HMRC, prompting an application for state pension forecast. It's infuriating to be told I'm dead when, in fact, I'm alive and kicking – albeit with a bit of bureaucratic baggage.
An investigation into how this error occurred seems to have been put on hold indefinitely, with HMRC citing the passage of time as the reason. The reality is that I've spent years chasing my tail, while they've managed to rectify the issue in just five days – an eyebrow-raising display of efficiency.
Now, I'm being told to apply for a new NI number from the Department for Work and Pensions, which will hopefully retrieve and merge my previous numbers. However, with my current employment records entwined with those of someone who's no longer alive, I have low confidence that this process will unfold without major hiccups.
To add insult to injury, HMRC has offered a paltry £250 in compensation – hardly a satisfactory resolution given the distress caused by their botched handling. It's clear that I'll need professional advice to untangle my employment records and ensure I don't miss out on any entitlements or saddled with liabilities as a result of this mess.
Ultimately, HMRC's response has been underwhelming, suggesting that it was only when I threatened to go public with their mistakes that they finally decided to act. As someone who's had enough of being treated like a non-entity by the tax authorities, I'll be keeping a close eye on how things unfold – and hoping for a more satisfactory outcome than the one offered so far.
. Like, who expects to get told they're dead by the tax office? It's not exactly reassuring when you're trying to sort out your finances and instead you get a shocker that someone else has been using your number all these years 
. The fact that it took them five days to fix the issue is pretty impressive, I guess 
. But £250 in compensation? That just seems like a slap on the wrist 
. You'd think they'd at least offer more support or something, considering how much stress this must be causing him 
. I hope he gets the help he needs to sort out his records and catch up with whatever benefits he's missed 
. the fact that it took them 5 days to fix the issue is just laughable, especially considering how much time & energy i've wasted on this whole ordeal. £250 compo? are u kiddin me?! thats like throwin a bone to a dog 
. seriously tho, im gonna have to get a lawyer involved to make sure im not taken advantage of here...
I feel you fam! Been there done that with my own experiences with HMRC 
. They just keep messing with your records, leaving you to wonder if they're even paying attention. It's crazy how quickly they got their act together and fixed the issue in 5 days, but then they have the nerve to tell you you're dead? 
. Remember, we got each other 
Oh man, this is so ridiculous! How can they mess up something that basic? One number mistake and suddenly you're "deceased"? 
! In my day, we didn't get compensated for bein' messed around by the authorities, we just dealt with it.
It's not like this was a one-off error – it seems like it's happened to others too 
.
️. And what about the stress and anxiety caused by all this? Don't they owe us some kind of apology or support? 
We can't let them get away with this level of incompetence and disregard for human life (or at least, the appearance of it) 
. It's time for change, and I say we make some noise about it 
! #JusticeForTheMisidentified #TaxAuthorityBlunders #FairnessMatters
. Did you have to take time off work because of this? 
. The UK government has spent over £1.5 billion on HMRC since 2010 and they still manage to mess up something as simple as a phone number 
. 
. And if you're not lucky enough to get them sorted out in under 30 days, you'll be considered "delinquent" and might even face penalties 
.
. Now, it's all online and automated, but sometimes that means things fall through the cracks... 
i feel bad for this guy who's been chasing his tail for years already and now he has to deal with even more red tape just to get his life sorted out. 
i think it's crazy that you had to go through all this just because of a simple mistake 
. i feel so sorry for you having to deal with all this bureaucratic red tape. you need to get some professional help ASAP and make sure they can't mess up your records any further 
. Someone needs to dig deeper and get to the bottom of this. I'm onto you, HMRC! 
... two NI numbers, dead person's number, and now I'm labeled as deceased 
. Five days it took them to fix the issue, what a joke 
, while I've been stuck in limbo for years 
.
, don't want to miss out on any benefits or get stuck with bad debt 
, hope you get it sorted soon 