§ Baroness Byfordasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether self-employed farmers are eligible for working families' tax credit; and, if so, how many are currently in receipt of it. [HL482]
§ Lord McIntosh of HaringeySelf-employed farmers are eligible for working families' tax credit (WFTC) if they have dependent children, if they or their partners work at least 16 hours a week, if they are resident in the United Kingdom and entitled to work here, if they have savings of £8,000 or less, and subject to the level of their family income.
It is estimated that about 17,000 families where the main earner was either a farmer or a worker in agricultural, forestry or fishing occupations were in receipt of WFTC at the end of August 2000. It is not known how many were self-employed.