Quote:

I personally find it incomprehensible why HMRC has chosen to replace the 0845 numbers with 0300 numbers instead of arranging for the appropriate and matching 0345 number to be activated.  Could it be that even an establishment such as the HMRC and Government cannot persuade their telecoms provider to arrange this?

I see no other logical reason.

kasg wrote on Jun 13^th, 2013 at 8:31pm:

… and we have yet to see what will be done with the remainder of the numbers.

There is obviously some benefit in having new memorable 0300 numbers; the difficulties of changing can be relieved by taking the 034 option. I am always pleased to see examples of the latter, as these help to counter arguments about the difficulty of changing. I must however live with my disappointment if HMRC chooses the former.

Without knowing exactly how HMRC balanced the arguments to come to the decision to take the 0300 option in the cases done this week, and those done in April, we are obviously unable to understand the decision. This is a point of some academic interest, especially as migration to the equivalent 034 numbers could have been a little more valuable to those of us who are keen to use HMRC as an example to others. It is however of no material relevance to those who call these numbers.

I am not aware of any evidence to show that the new telephone service provider to HMRC, now perhaps a different division of its previous provider, has in any way impeded the possibility of the 0345 option being taken.

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HMRC 0845 lines to be de-commissioned 30 June 2015.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/changes-to-hmrc-telephone-numbers

HMRC would have to declare the Service Charge wherever the 0845 numbers are advertised.

They stopped advertising these numbers last year.

For the last six months HMRC 0845 lines have played a free announcement advising of the new 03 number.


That's the stage that DWP has now reached.