Getting personal information from HMRC

[spiggle]

Dear all,
I hope someone here is able to help.
My father passed away in 2007 and I have been trying to get information from HMRC in connection to his employment status. The facts are my father arrived in the UK in April 1972 and commenced working for the same company in May 1972 until his retirement in 1993. I require HMRC to confirm this employment however requests are met with the standard "unable to comply because of Section 18 CRCA" as disclosure can only be made in certain circumstances particularly to Law Enforcement. Due to his death I am unable to approach it from a data perspective. It seems HMRC were willing to accept information re Inheritance etc but unwilling to reciprocate. Has anyone got any ideas as to how I can get them to provide this information? Many thanks in advance.

[Peridot]

Hi Spiggle,

Sorry not my area and hopefully someone will be along with some pointers. I just wondered if the company operates any longer and whether contacting them may provide you with the information you need?

Are you the executor/administrator of your father's estate? I would have thought HMRC would only deal with those personalities anyway even if they did suddenly become helpful? What did you need the information for?

Is this an immigration status issue? I wonder also whether getting a free half hour or reduced fee initial appointment with an immigration specialist may be helpful. They would probably know where to start finding the information you need.

Sorry I can't be more helpful.

[spiggle]

Hi Peridot
Many thanks for responding. It is in connection with an application for a Portuguese passport. My father originated from Goa which was considered a territory of Portugal rather then colony before being subsumed by India. His birth in the territory therefore despite being dead makes him eligible for a Portuguese passport and it follows that I would too but there are obstacles in that one of the requirements is to prove that he was not resident in any of the Portuguese colonies during 1974/5 as those people were given the opportunity to apply for citizenship and lost it after 1975 if they didn't take up the offer. My dad was resident in the UK but try as I may obtaining this information with HMRC (the most obvious choice), Home Office, NHS and the local council I was not having much luck until this morning when quite by chance I stumbled upon a letter from his old employer. A search on Google however revealed that he had passed away earlier this year however a further search revealed an obituary in the Telegraph and thus his children who had renamed the company (hence I was unable to trace it in its original form). So hopefully I will now be able to get the letter regarding his employment during that period but I would have dearly loved to have got it from an official agency. My brother was the executor of his estate and though I didn't see his request I am sure he would have mentioned it. If any one has met this situation with HMRC and as succeeded in getting a response I would be most obliged for their account.

Kind regards

Spiggle

[Peridot]

Hi again Spiggle,

Glad you've managed to track down the company. Hopefully they have the records to be able to provide the information you need.

If they are unable to give the info, y

our brother remains the executor even after the estate has been administered so he could write to HMRC again requesting the information? They should deal with the executor of the estate.

All the best

[spiggle]

Hello Peridot
Apologies for the delayed reply. I thought best to post an update in case it will help anyone in the future.

HMRC were absolutely hopeless. They will assist but only in establishing my fathers final liability and even then during the administration period which unfortunately for me was a number of years ago. There is a process for people making claims in respect of asbestos where HMRC will provide a schedule of employments from year dot but for any one else ZERO. I wonder how folk from the Windrush are coping with this. Would love to hear from anyone that has been successful.

I managed to get a letter from my fathers old company but even though he had worked diligently for them for over 20 years at one time holding a directorship they were reluctant to provide the letter. After numerous phone calls the letter eventually appeared.

Regards

Spigs