HC Deb 26 May 1999 vol 332 cc181-3W
Jackie Ballard

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the increase in demand for childcare places as a result of the introduction of the childcare tax credit within the working families tax credit. [84958]

Dawn Primarolo

The Government have commissioned work into the demand for childcare places within the context of the National Childcare Strategy. Results from this analysis are due to be published later in the year, and follow-up work is envisaged in 2001 which should help inform our understanding of existing and future demand for childcare.

Jackie Ballard

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the impact on parents' ability to pay higher childcare fees of the introduction of the childcare tax credit element of the working families tax credit. [84957]

Dawn Primarolo

The ability of parents to pay childcare fees at the prevailing rates following the introduction of the childcare tax credit will depend on a range of factors. It is not practicable for the Government to estimate reliably whether, or to what extent, the introduction of the childcare tax credit component of the Working Families Tax Credit will have an effect on childcare charges.

Jackie Ballard

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how the Inland Revenue will take account of differences in the cost of childcare during holiday periods, compared to term time, when calculating the childcare element of the working families tax credit. [84960]

Dawn Primarolo

The calculation of the childcare element within the Working Families Tax Credit will take account of differences in the cost of childcare in holiday periods, compared to term time, in the same way that Family Credit takes account of these variations currently.

Jackie Ballard

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what evidence parents will be required to produce to support a claim for the childcare tax credit element of the working families tax credit. [84955]

Dawn Primarolo

Parents will be required to obtain confirmation of their costs, or expected childcare costs, from their childcare provider in the same way that they would currently for Family Credit.

Jackie Ballard

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what information childcare providers will have to provide to the Inland Revenue to show how much those parents claiming working families tax credit are charged for childcare. [84959]

Dawn Primarolo

Childcare providers will be asked to verify parents actual or expected childcare costs for WFTC using a form similar to the one they are currently asked to complete for Family Credit.

Ms Harman

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how the working families tax credit will be assessed when the snapshot of income immediately preceding an application comes out at a time when the applicant is on parental leave without pay. [84751]

Dawn Primarolo

[holding answer 20 May 1999]: The rules for the assessment of WFTC where one or both parents are on unpaid parental leave will be the same as those used currently for Family Credit where the parent, or parents, are on any other sorts of unpaid leave. The exact treatment will depend entirely on the individual circumstances of the family.

Jackie Ballard

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which social security benefits will be excluded from the calculation for entitlement to working families tax credit. [84950]

Dawn Primarolo

The same social security benefits will be excluded from the calculation for entitlement of WFTC as are currently excluded from the calculation of entitlement to Family Credit. These are Child Benefit, Child Benefit (Lone Parent), Guardian's Allowance, Maternity Allowance, Housing Benefit, Council Tax Benefit, Personal Council Tax Transitional Relief or Reduction, Attendance Allowance, Disability Living Allowance, £10 Christmas Bonus, Constant Attendance Allowance, war pensioner's mobility supplement, supplementary pensions for war widows, Exceptionally Severe Disablement Allowance, any Social Fund payment, Severe Disablement Occupational Allowance, Income Support, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance. And in addition, the first £10 of the total income is disregarded (up to a maximum disregard of £20) where it comes from War Widow's or Widower's Pension, War Disablement Pensions, or equivalent payments made by foreign social security schemes.