The federal government has instructed the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) to devise a 100-day plan to improve service at its call centres so more Canadians can get through by phone.
The demand follows a CBC News story last month about mounting frustration by Canadians to reach a CRA agent to deal with pressing tax matters. Several told CBC News they had been trying for weeks or months to get through but instead were greeted with an automated message, and no opportunity to wait on hold or leave a callback number.
In a letter sent Tuesday to the Chair of the standing committee on finance, the minister of National Revenue, François-Philippe Champagne, said that Canadians deserve better.
“The service delays and access challenges Canadians are experiencing from CRA call centres are unacceptable,” wrote Champagne.
He said the agency has been instructed to “take concrete steps” to fix the problem, including “reallocating and adding personnel, piloting a new call-scheduling system and expanding digital services.”
The Union of Taxation Employees, which represents CRA workers, blames the call centre problems on job cuts. It says nearly 3,300 call centre employees have lost their jobs since May 2024. Consequently, says the union, on average, fewer than five per cent of callers reach an agent.
The union said that percentage comes directly from the CRA. However, the Department of Finance provided CBC News with different data. It said that from January through July, the CRA received about 21.5 million calls, and roughly 14 per cent were handled by agents.
The CRA also challenged the union’s job cuts data, stating that 1,300 call centre workers let go in May were seasonal workers whose contract had ended.
Regardless of the exact data, both Champagne and the union have determined that the call centre problem needs to be addressed.
“I think that we reached a state of crisis,” said Marc Brière, the union’s national president.
The union launched a social campaign last month to raise awareness about the call centre problem. Brière says it also met with CRA officials this summer.
“We had discussions with the CRA, but they said their budgets were cut,” he said. “I said, ‘I understand, but we feel that it’s unacceptable both for the taxpayers and for our members that are having a real hard time out there.'”
Not only do most incoming calls go unanswered, said Brière, but the staff is struggling with the workload.
“People are absolutely exhausted and they’re crying for help.”
Fed-up Canadians say no one at CRA is taking their call
Brière says he’s pleased the government is now taking steps to improve the call centre problem. But he adds that he’s not celebrating yet, as “the devil’s in the details.”
Brière wants the CRA to hire more call centre employees, and, so far, Champagne hasn’t promised added funding.
“If there’s no additional funds in the next budget, then it’s going to be very difficult to accomplish something meaningful,” said Brière.
He says he’s ready to work with the minister and the CRA on solutions, and will meet with the agency on Tuesday afternoon to discuss the 100-day plan.
Brière adds that his union will also campaign for reinvestment and additional staff in other parts of the CRA where, he says, service is also compromised due to job cuts.
