§ 24. Mr. MacShaneTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of existing fiscal support for the family. [27225]
§ Mr. Gordon BrownSupport through the tax system is provided by the married couple's allowance and the additional personal allowance. Additional personal allowance is available to those who have a dependent child living with them but are not married and to married men whose wives are incapacitated and have dependent children.
Support through the benefit system is provided through:
- Child Benefit which helps all families with the extra cost of having children;
- child and family premia in Income Support which help those families who cannot work; and
- Family Credit which provides targeted help to those with children who are in work and on low incomes.
My hon. Friend will also be aware that I have asked Martin Taylor to lead a task force looking at streamlining and modernising the tax and benefits system. And, as I said in my pre-Budget report, the Government are examining the possibility of introducing a Working Families Tax Credit, which would provide support to more working families on low incomes.