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1. Embed this notice
   Jay Baker (mediaactivist@todon.eu)'s status on Thursday, 21-Dec-2023 02:03:20 JST Jay Baker

   Got a letter from HMRC today. Apparently I missed a phonecall from them so they've cancelled my longtime repayment plan with them and want me to pay nearly £4,000 asap. I was on the phone with them almost two hours with no resolution. Fucking hell, happy holidays to you too, haha. Guess not everyone likes my brand-new website and its content (I'm joking...mostly).

   • Embed this notice
     Fish/Meercat 😷 :vegan: (rybson@todon.eu)'s status on Thursday, 21-Dec-2023 11:05:58 JST Fish/Meercat 😷 :vegan:

     in reply to

     @MediaActivist WTF?? Horrible

   • Embed this notice
     LutherBlissett13 (lutherblissett13@kolektiva.social)'s status on Friday, 22-Dec-2023 02:31:49 JST LutherBlissett13

     in reply to

     @MediaActivist is there any practical assistance that can be given at this time?

   • Embed this notice
     Jay Baker (mediaactivist@todon.eu)'s status on Friday, 22-Dec-2023 02:31:49 JST Jay Baker

     in reply to

     • LutherBlissett13

     @LutherBlissett13 Thank you so much for asking, that's really lovely. I reckon I really just have to try and negotiate with them again in the new year. Not ideal, but will muster the mettle! Thanks again!

   • Embed this notice
     Jay Baker (mediaactivist@todon.eu)'s status on Friday, 22-Dec-2023 02:33:09 JST Jay Baker

     in reply to

     • Anti. 🐘

     @antiaall3s Thank you! I think I've gone through anger and a range of other emotions about it haha, but I slept on it and feel a little clearer now, and I'll take on those bastards in the new year! That's a great link too, thanks for sharing!

   • Embed this notice
     Anti. 🐘 (antiaall3s@chaos.social)'s status on Friday, 22-Dec-2023 02:33:12 JST Anti. 🐘

     in reply to

     @MediaActivist This makes me so angry. I really hope you can find a solution. Britain does seem kinda fucked.

     https://donotpanic.substack.com/p/its-all-out-war-on-the-vulnerable

   • Embed this notice
     Jay Baker (mediaactivist@todon.eu)'s status on Friday, 22-Dec-2023 02:34:27 JST Jay Baker

     in reply to

     • bebopcello

     @bebopcello Thank you so much for asking -- but you support my work so much already, I cannot thank you enough if I'm honest! I'm sure I'll joust with them again the new year as I have won myself some time it seems. Onwards! Thanks again! Hope you're okay!

   • Embed this notice
     bebopcello (bebopcello@mastodon.social)'s status on Friday, 22-Dec-2023 02:34:28 JST bebopcello

     in reply to

     @MediaActivist Is there anything we can do to help?

   • Embed this notice
     Jay Baker (mediaactivist@todon.eu)'s status on Friday, 22-Dec-2023 02:34:48 JST Jay Baker

     in reply to

     • Fish/Meercat 😷 :vegan:

     @rybson ikr! Bastards lol

   • Embed this notice
     Jay Baker (mediaactivist@todon.eu)'s status on Friday, 22-Dec-2023 20:11:26 JST Jay Baker

     in reply to

     • LutherBlissett13

     @LutherBlissett13 That is so lovely, and kind, and really helpful - and much appreciated! I have to confess that I probably wouldn't have been so rash in calling to resolve it on the day of receiving the letter if it wasn't coming up to my first week off all year. So I guess I was foolishly exploited by them on that one. On the phone they pored over my finances off the top of my head and implied my previous payment plan had not only been activated by payment discrepancies (even though I've never missed a payment) and therefore the missed phonecall and voicemail (I don't yet have voicemail set up with my newest phone provider), but that I should be paying higher installments even though my financial situation is worse now than when I set up the repayment plan years ago! So hopefully their promise to ask debt collectors to back off holds up and they will accept a letter I can write in the new year to avoid another chaotic, humiliating, two-hour phonecall! Thanks again!

   • Embed this notice
     LutherBlissett13 (lutherblissett13@kolektiva.social)'s status on Friday, 22-Dec-2023 20:11:27 JST LutherBlissett13

     in reply to

     @MediaActivist @MediaActivist just don't want you stewing over it on your own.

     It seems unreasonable on the face of it for a few reasons.

     I've added an update to the wayback machine for their page admitting that scams by phone contact exist so there's a contemporary proof at the time of their change towards you.

     https://web.archive.org/web/20231221215905/https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/phishing-and-bogus-emails-hm-revenue-and-customs-examples/phishing-emails-and-bogus-contact-hm-revenue-and-customs-examples

     Other things that seem important at the moment:

     1) reasonableness of expecting you to believe that a HMRC telephone contact to be genuine.

     2) reasonableness of changing terms after only ONE attempt at contact.

     3) the important FACT that you receive a LETTER from the HMRC about missing a phone call says something about a) how to contact you, b) how to provide and receive information in a recordable way, for both parties c) that it is a more reasonable context method to assure it is a genuine communication.

     4) the reasonableness of using one form of communication because it is probably cheaper to call than send a letter for one party.

     Don't forget to save correspondence from them.

     Hope these are helpful at a stressful time. They are trying to pressure you, but what they want and what the law allows are not the same thing and things like standards of "reasonable" can count.