Delay in income levy refund due to public sector dispute

[pass&move]

I only found out two weeks ago that because we have a full medical card, we are entitled to a refund of the income levy for 2009. I applied for this on the revenue website & phoned today to check on the status of the application. I was informed that the application is on file, but won't be processed due to the ongoing dispute with the government over the public sector pay cuts. I asked if there was any other way to apply that wouldn't be affected by this & was told there isn't.
Has anyone else had a similar experience, or do you know if revenue employees are entitled to refuse to process these requests? Who could I complain to about this?

 

[Bill Struth]

I only found out two weeks ago that because we have a full medical card, we are entitled to a refund of the income levy for 2009. I applied for this on the revenue website & phoned today to check on the status of the application. I was informed that the application is on file, but won't be processed due to the ongoing dispute with the government over the public sector pay cuts. I asked if there was any other way to apply that wouldn't be affected by this & was told there isn't.
Has anyone else had a similar experience, or do you know if revenue employees are entitled to refuse to process these requests? Who could I complain to about this?

Because of the work to rule the forms are probably being processed in strict date order. Take the matter up with your TD.

 

[pass&move]

Thanks for the reply Bill Struth. At least if they're dealing with them in date order, it should be processed at some point. The person I spoke to in revenue, gave me the impression that it wouldn't be looked at until the dispute was resolved.
Ah well, could really have done with the money, but I suppose lots of the public sector workers could really do with the money they've been docked too.

 

[daxve]

Under instructions from the Unions Revenue staff are not to do anything that is deemed "new" work as part of the on going industrial action. New work is anything that was not part of the staffs job prior to the pay cuts taking effect.

The Income Levy only became refundable on the 1st of January 2010 after the pay cuts took effect therefore it is considered "new" work as it was not previously part of Revenue staffs work as it didn't exist prior to last year and couldn't be refunded until after the tax year had ended.

Revenue staff will not be processing refunds of the Income Levy until the dispute has been resolved. They are not being worked at all and are being held in the system as you where originally told. There is no chance of a refund at this time. All other work that is not considered new work is being worked in strict date order and all correspondence must be in writing, basically the unions are trying to slow down the whole system.

As suggested the best person to complain to is your local TD.