The Socialist 12 October 2016

Housing crisis can be beaten

Butterfields victory: housing crisis can be beaten

Tories’ £5bn for housing not enough

Tories whip up division over Brexit...fight for a socialist, internationalist exit

Where next for the BMA junior doctors' dispute

Say no to fracking!

Support the Rotherham 12

Suicidal phone calls: fight to reverse tax credit cuts

Malcolm X: hero of black liberation

Union library campaign strikes blow against Bromley Tories

Bin workers' strike - "about more than just pay"

AMEY = A Massive Empty Yard

Ritzy strikers walk-out and rally

Workplace news in brief

Poland: Mass movement stops total ban on abortion

South Africa: The battle for free education

Shimon Peres - a wolf in sheep's clothing

Lambeth working class demo against cuts and gentrification

Appeal: Don't let the banks wreck our finances!

Momentum should show Blairites the door, not Socialist Party members!

Lobby to keep vital day centre funding

Bradford day centre campaigners meet to fight closure

Fight to save care homes in Carlisle

Cable Street 80th anniversary demo

Attack on young people's health and social care: urgent fightback needed

PO Box 1398, Enfield EN1 9GT

020 8988 8777

[email protected]

Link to this page: https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/issue/920/23746

Search the site	Printable version

Home | The Socialist 12 October 2016 | Join the Socialist Party

Subscribe | Donate | Audio | PDF | ebook

Suicidal phone calls: fight to reverse tax credit cuts

Call centre workers at a private tax credit cuts firm have to deal with suicidal claimants, photo by William Brawley (Creative Commons) (Click to enlarge)

Corinthia Ward, Birmingham Central Socialist Party

Concentrix, a private US firm used by HM Revenue and Customs to cut tax credit payments, has been receiving suicidal calls from claimants - as a result of losing their payments thrusting them deeper into poverty.

An anonymous Concentrix worker has spoken out against the firm. He highlighted not only the lack of training for its 600 staff, but also the high volume of desperate calls from people who rely and survive on tax credits. "People crying down the phone to you that they're down to their last bag of wipes, have no food in the fridge to feed their kids."

The Tories awarded Concentrix a £75 million contract to investigate potential fraudulent claimants. However, hundreds of low-income households have had their tax credits stopped without being forewarned, and without any time to refute the allegations.

Concentrix call centre staff have been at the receiving end of these highly stressful calls. The same whistleblower reported the company gives them no counselling or support. They are instead told to "have a smoke... you'll be fine" - and then expected to come back and deal with another 40 or 50 calls.

The Socialist Party demands the reversal of tax credit cuts, and of profiteering from public services. All workers should have proper training and support, backed up by trade union recognition to help hold management to account.

A £10 an hour minimum wage will ensure less people need to claim tax credits. And fund real living benefits for all as well.

In this issue

Housing crisis

Butterfields victory: housing crisis can be beaten