§ Mr. FieldTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the average net income(a) before Working Families Tax Credit but with receipt of other benefits, (b) with the addition of Working Families Tax Credit before tapering of other benefits and (c) with the addition of Working Families Tax Credit following the tapering of Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit for (i) all recipients of the Working Families Tax Credit and (ii) families earning between (1) £4,000 and £6,000 per year, (2) £6,000 and £8,000 per year, (3) £8,000 and £10,000 per year and (4) £10,000 and £12,000 per year. [122393]
§ Dawn Primarolo[holding answer 16 May 2000]: Insufficient data on income are provided by applicants for the Working Families Tax Credit to determine their net incomes including the various benefits mentioned. Also, household survey data available for analysis do not yet cover families receiving the tax credits, and sample numbers may in any case be too small for reliable estimates to be made in the detail requested.
§ Mr. Matthew TaylorTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the(a) number and (b) percentage of claimants of Working Families Tax Credit who also claim (i) Housing Benefit, (ii) Council Tax Benefit and (iii) both Housing and Council Tax Benefit. [122518]
§ Dawn PrimaroloThe receipt of Housing Benefit (HB) and Council Tax Benefit (CTB) cannot be determined from the information processed for applications for the Working Families Tax Credit (WFTC). The receipt of WFTC can however be determined from the information processed for claims for HB and CTB, and I understand from the Department of Social Security that estimates of the numbers requested will be available towards the end of the year. Household survey data available for analysis do not yet cover families receiving WFTC.
§ Mr. Matthew TaylorTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what statistics he collates on the operation of the Working Families Tax Credit; [122516]
(2) when figures on the first six months of operation of the Working Families Tax Credit will be published. [122515]
262W
§ Dawn PrimaroloStatistics on Working Families Tax Credit (WFTC) awards are published each quarter. The first tables were published on 11 April, in respect of awards current at the end of November 1999.
Up to the end of March 2000 there had been 1,030,200 awards made of the WFTC. The number of telephone calls handled by the WFTC helpline and the response line in each month to April 2000 was given in a reply to the hon. Member for Havant (Mr. Willetts) on 10 May 2000, Official Report, columns 423–24W. WFTC will be covered in the operational statistics shown in the Inland Revenue Annual Report for the year ended 31 March 2000, which is due to be published in the autumn.