How Long Should It Take To Get A P45?

Interesting question.

I officially came off the Clergy Payments payroll on the 27th of July. Today is the 25th of August, 29 days later, and I have still haven’t received a P45 from Clergy Payments. This is on top of their refusal to do anything about an adjustment for HLC for the tax year 2010-2011 which means they have left me out of pocket to the sum of over a thousand pounds. How nice.

Compare this to the Department of Work and Pensions. I spent only 7 days officially “job seeking” earlier this month before I picked up some consultancy work (I have my bike and Norman Tebbit would be proud). The DWP took less than 24 hours from me signing off for a P45 to come through my letterbox.

So, welcome to a new feature of this website. To your right, above the login box, is a timer that tells you exactly how long it has been since Clergy Payments has failed to send me a P45. Since (I have been reliably informed) I have now been taken off the payroll system itself, I wonder just what value it will get to over the next few weeks and months.

Is there anybody else who has left employment in the Church of England who has had a similar experience? Let me know.

It’s all really encouraging isn’t it?