HC Deb 05 April 2001 vol 366 cc240-2W
Mr. Field

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what data he collects on the income distribution of recipients of the Working Families Tax Credit with incomes over £250 per week. [157048]

Dawn Primarolo

The Working Families Tax Credit (WFTC) application form requires applicants to report their earnings, and those of their partner (if any). Statistical analyses of WFTC awards are based on a 5 per cent. sample of awards in Great Britain. Subject to sampling error, this sample can be used to generate information on the number of WFTC recipients according to bands of gross weekly earnings of the main earner.

Mr. Field

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) with respect to Table 5.3 of the Working Families Tax Credit Statistics, Quarterly Inquiry, August 2000, what assessment he has made of the factors underlying the average tax credit awards payable to(a) managers and administrators and (b) taxi drivers; [156833]

(2) if he will list for Table 5.3 of the Working Families Tax Credit Statistics, Quarterly Inquiry, August 2000, the average incomes for each occupation type who are in receipt of tax credits. [156832]

Dawn Primarolo

The table shows the average gross weekly earnings of the main earner in families receiving Working Families Tax Credit at August 2000 and who fall into each of the occupation types listed in the table referred to.

The average gross weekly earnings of main earners who are managers and administrators and included in the table is higher than the overall average, and the average gross weekly earnings of main earners who are taxi drivers is lower.

Average gross weekly earnings of the main earner in families receiving Working Families Tax Credit at August 2000, by occupation of the main earner
£
All occupations 158
Managers and administrators 174
Professional occupations 188
Associated professional and technical occupations 190
of which:
Scientific technicians 205
Health and social welfare associate professionals 184
Clerical and secretarial occupations 174
of which:
Administrative officers below EO grades in Civil Service/Local Government 208
Clerks and cashiers 163
Receptionists and telephonists 157
Secretaries and typists 181
Other clerical occupations 183
Craft and related occupations (non-managerial workers) 172
of which:
Construction trades, skilled workers 171
Metal working, skilled workers 178
Food preparation trades 146
Personal and protective services 131
of which:
Chefs and cooks 124
Hotel porters, kitchen porters, catering assistants, counter hands etc. 118
Health and childcare occupations 143
Domestic staff 131
Cleaners, domestics, window cleaners and road sweepers 112
Sales occupations 134
of which:
Sales assistants 127
Sales occupations 145
Plant and machine operatives 169
of which:
Assemblers/lineworkers on electrical/electronic goods, cars, packers, bottlers, graders, sorters etc. 178
Transport and machinery operatives 203
Taxi-drivers 100
Other occupations 179

Mr. Cotter

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the waiting time is for receipt of Working Families Tax Credit application forms following an initial request. [156971]

Dawn Primarolo

The Working Families Tax Credit helpline aims to send out application packs to callers within 48 hours of a request being made to it. It sends out application packs by first-class post, and is currently up to date processing such requests.