§ Mr. WillettsTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much of the forecast additional spending on Working Families Tax Credit will be spent on recipients who would 635W have (a) been entitled and (b) not been entitled to Family Credit in (i) 1999–2000, (ii) 2000–01 and (ii) 2001–02. [119947]
§ Dawn PrimaroloFigures for the projected expenditure on the Working Families Tax Credit (WFTC) and Disabled Person's Tax Credit are given in Table C12 of the March 2000 Financial Statement and Budget Report. In 1998–99, the last full year for Family Credit and Disability Working Allowance, the outturn expenditure on these was £2.6 billion.
§ Mr. WillettsTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much has been spent to date on the childcare tax credit of the Working Families Tax Credit; and what is his latest estimate of expenditure in(a) this financial year and (b) in each of the next two financial years. [108761]
§ Dawn Primarolo[pursuant to her reply, 10 March 2000, c. 852W]The extra amounts of Working Families Tax Credit arising from the childcare tax credit in awards made by the end of January 2000 will result in expenditure of about £60 million during the 26-week period of award. It is estimated that for 2000–01, the first full year of the credit, the extra expenditure due to the childcare tax credits will be about £200 million. I very much regret that the figures given in my earlier reply were based on the average amounts of eligible child care costs, rather than the average extra award received as a result of the childcare tax credit.
§ Mr. WillettsTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many parents are claiming the childcare tax credit in respect of children(a) aged under eight years and (b) over eight years; and what is the average payment per (i) family and (ii) child. [108760]
§ Dawn Primarolo[pursuant to her reply, 10 March 2000, c. 853W]Families in receipt of the childcare tax credit received on average an extra £31 per week as a result of this credit, or £25 per week per child receiving the child care. I very much regret that the figures given in my earlier reply were the average amounts of eligible child care costs.
§ Mr. WillettsTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many calls have been made to the WFTC helpline in each month since it was established. [119946]
§ Dawn PrimaroloMonthly figures on the number of calls handled by working families' tax credit helpline and response line are given in the table:
Month Helpline1 Response Line2 September3 389,300 316,800 October 449,300 322,700 November 384,900 141,500 December 242,400 42,900 January 406,800 15,400 February 387,400 — March 502,800 — 1 The helpline has been in operation since the campaign launch of WFTC on the 8 September 1999. 2 The response line has only been in operation during the first advertising campaign. 3 The helpline and the response line were made operational on the 8 September 1999.