![Pinterest](https://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://uknews.evprotec.com/where-the-civil-service-is-failing-britain/&media=https://uknews.evprotec.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/TELEMMGLPICT000315431265_trans_NvBQzQNjv4BqqVzuuqpFlyLIwiB6NTmJwfSVWeZ_vEN7c6bHu2jJnT8.jpeg&description=Standards have plummeted across government institutions as tens of thousands of civil servants shun office working every day, more than a year after England's final lockdown. While public complaints mount and Covid backlogs linger, some of the largest departments are barely half-full. A mere 43pc of the desks at the Foreign Office's King Charles Street headquarters were occupied last month. In the face of public outrage and ministerial interventions, civil service bosses have consistently denied that working from home has had an impact on productivity. However, patience is rapidly fraying with 'due to Covid' excuses as taxpayers spend months struggling to renew their driving licences, access their pensions or sort out their loved one's estates. Here Telegraph Money outlines the key Government departments and organisations that are still dogged by delays. Despite spending millions on laptops for staff working away from the office, customer service has failed to recover at HM Revenue and Customs after slumping at the start of lockdown. While its civil servants work from home two days a week, waiting times for phone calls have more than doubled in three years, while child benefit and tax credit claims are 25pc slower. HMRC refutes any link between its 'hybrid' arrangements and its customer service performance, but admitted that all customer service measures have declined since the onset of the pandemic. The Institute of Chartered Accountants' Caroline Miskin said she was 'very concerned' about the department's 'poor' performance. She said: 'The issues are across the board but are currently particularly acute in processing registrations for VAT and self assessment." HMRC said that its customer satisfaction rate stands at around 80pc and that it is improving services by working through built-up post and shifting services online. Pensioners have spoken of their 'seething rage' for the Department for Work and Pensions following delays in payouts during the cost-of-living){kind=link}
Taxpayer patience is fraying with ‘because of covid’ excuses and working from home
Standards have plummeted across government institutions as tens of thousands of civil servants shun office working every day, more than a year after England’s final lockdown.
While public complaints mount and Covid backlogs linger, some of the largest departments are barely half-full. A mere 43pc of the desks at the Foreign Office’s King Charles Street headquarters were occupied last month.
In the face of public outrage and ministerial interventions, civil service bosses have consistently denied that working from home has had an impact on productivity.
However, patience is rapidly fraying with “due to Covid” excuses as taxpayers spend months struggling to renew their driving licences, access their pensions or sort out their loved one’s estates.