Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Rebecca Long Bailey MP, commenting on the Government’s refusal to investigate the unfair practices and inadequate service of Concentrix said:

‘’The Government is refusing to acknowledge the extent of the distress and financial hardship caused by Concentrix’s actions over the past year.

“The Financial Secretary insinuated, in response to my Urgent Question, that Tax Credit recipients themselves were to blame for having their payments stopped by failing to respond to a warning issued by Concentrix. However, we know from cases all over the country that such warnings have not been received and that payments have been stopped with no notice or explanation.

“It is totally unacceptable that a private company has been able to profit off the back of hard working people who have done nothing wrong and it is shocking that the Government has refused to investigate why Concentrix was allowed to do so.

“It is time the Government stopped trying to privatise the delivery of our welfare system when the evidence clearly shows that a profit motive is detrimental to the wellbeing and welfare of the British people.

“Labour will now write to the National Audit Office asking for an investigation into Concentrix and its contract with HMRC, something the Government has today refused to do.”