§ Mr. WicksTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if she will publish data in the manner of the tax benefit model tables for families whose head is a full-time employee with ranges of gross earnings from £50 to £310 in bands of £20 for(a) a lone parent owner occupier with one child under five years, assuming no child care costs, (b) lone parent owner occupier with one child under five years, assuming child care costs of £40 per week and (c) married couple owner occupier with two children aged under five years and aged five-10 years, assuming no child care costs. [8515]
§ Mr. Keith Bradley[holding answer 17 July 1997]: The information has been placed in the Library.
§ Mr. WebbTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many lone parents currently take advantage of the £60 per week disregard for child care costs in family credit, and of these how many she expects to take advantage of the £100 per week disregard introduced in the Budget. [10794]
§ Mr. Keith Bradley[holding answer 28 July 1997]: As at February 1997, the latest date for which information is available, there were 28,400 lone parents receiving help with child care costs in family credit. Of these, 2,000 lone parents with two or more children have child care costs of more than £60 per week.
256WThe increase in the maximum allowed child care costs will help those already claiming with two or more children, some further lone parents already working will be drawn into entitlement, and will ensure that work pays for some lone parents not currently working. It is not possible to quantify these behavioural effects with any certainty.
§ Ms Julie MorganTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if she will raise the maximum family credit ceiling; and what is her estimate of the number of families which will benefit from the increase in the maximum allowed child care costs. [10918]
§ Mr. Bradley[holding answer 28 July 1997]: The maximum family credit ceiling is reviewed in the uprating order each year.
As at February 1997, the latest date for which information is available, there were approximately 2,200 families with two or more children with child care costs of more than £60 per week claiming family credit.
The increase in the maximum allowed child care costs will help those already claiming with two or more children, some further families already working will be drawn into entitlement, and will ensure that work pays for some families not currently working. It is not possible to quantify these behavioural effects with any certainty.