You don’t need this company’s assistance

D.F. writes: I am sending you a copy of a letter I have sent to the Financial Ombudsman Service concerning Uniform Tax Credits, an organisation recently featured by you.

I WROTE about Uniform Tax Credits (UTC) because the Swansea-based firm had won a £63 tax refund for a reader but charged £207 in fees.

Your own problem is rather different. Your son, who has learning difficulties, works as a supermarket cleaner. You told me he was contacted with an offer of help in claiming backdated tax relief for the cost of cleaning his work uniform and he authorised UTC to lodge a claim.

He was told by Revenue & Customs last June that a refund of £48 was sent to UTC. You then spoke to three different people at UTC, but your son still received nothing.

Although you have written to the Ombudsman, it does not handle tax problems. These are dealt with by the Revenue Adjudicator.

I asked UTC’s boss, Michael Byfield, to comment. He told me two cheques were sent to your son, but for some unknown reason, neither arrived. A third cheque has now been sent and you have confirmed that this time your son really does have his money.

As I reported in December, the Revenue does not want to have to make individual calculations for millions of people who have to provide or clean work uniforms.

The taxman operates a flat-rate expenses scheme that anyone can use without professional help. Byfield told me: ‘Our target customers are not typically Mail on Sunday readers and have no idea they are due a refund for past years, or an allowance for future years, until we contact them.’

Let us be clear: UTC has no official role and anyone can find out from their tax office whether they qualify for a fixed expenses allowance.