HC Deb 22 April 1998 vol 310 cc619-20W
Dr. Lynne Jones

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if recipients of working families tax credit will receive the same entitlement to passported benefits as do recipients of family credit. [37851]

Dawn Primarolo

The current assumption is that those who are presently entitled to passported benefits because they receive Family Credit will continue to be entitled to such benefits when the WFTC is introduced.

Mr. Jim Cunningham

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effect of introducing a working families tax credit on(a) the level of employment and (b) the control total in the next four years. [38219]

Dawn Primarolo

[holding answer 8 April 1998]: The Government expect that their programme of tax and benefit reform to make work pay will, like its New Deals, help people move off welfare and into work.

Whether or not any part of the WFTC should score in the Control Total has not yet been decided.

Mr. Gibb

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 1 April 1998,Official Report, columns 553–54, on the working families tax credit, in estimating the cost of the working families tax credit, how many recipients of (a) the working families tax credit and (b) the childcare tax credit are assessed in the cost estimates for (i) 1999–2000 and (ii) 2000–01. [39235]

Dawn Primarolo

[holding answer 20 April 1998]: Around 800,000 families are currently in receipt of family credit; it is estimated that about 400,000 more families will be eligible for the Working Families Tax Credit.