On Sunday 10th April, The Times reported that the HMRC had admitted about posting a tax windfall to the wrong person because they had the same name.
According to the HMRC it made out a refund for £4,553.32 to the wrong “Mrs Hansa. Patel” and the person who had the cheque has cashed it. According to the
Hansa Patel, 68, from Borehamwood in Hertfordshire, asked Sunday Times Money to investigate after spending six months trying to get the money she was owed. HMRC told the family that the matter had been escalated to the fraud department, but did not ring them back.
The HMRC has now admitted that they had mixed up these people due to their same last names, though it was not clear whether this was a computing or human error. There are 100,000 people in Britain with the surname Patel. HMRC would not say what would happen to the recipient who cashed the cheque but it is likely to ask them to repay the money.
Patel’s refund had been issued again, this time by bank transfer.
