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HMRC’s Childcare Services website accidentally made private details from several childminders, including home addresses, public this week.

 

The problem was reported to the Alliance by childminders, who noticed that their personal details had been listed under the site’s ‘Search for a childcare provider’ function without their permission.

 

HMRC temporarily removed the facility from the Childcare Service website in response to the complaints. The function was restored shortly afterwards, but it is not yet clear if the problem has been fully resolved.

 

Alliance chief executive Neil Leitch said that the accident was “completely unacceptable”. He said: “While we recognise that HMRC has now resolved this issue, it never should have happened in the first place and it certainly shouldn’t have taken so long for HMRC to finally acknowledge that something had gone seriously wrong.”

 

This problem comes shortly after many parents and providers reported problems using the Childcare Service website to process tax-free childcare claims, including being unable to log in, delays in receiving payments and website crashes. Several parents and providers are still said to be having problems accessing the site.