§ Ms BuckTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many Housing Benefit recipients are in receipt of Working Families Tax Credit; [1564]
(2) what assessment he has made of the impact on the estimated number of Housing Benefit claimants also in receipt of Working Families Tax Credit, if the Working Families Tax Credit threshold was increased to (a) £120, (b) £150 and (c) £200. [1565]
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§ Malcolm WicksDetails of the number of people claiming the Working Families Tax Credit who also receive Housing Benefit will be included in the Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit Annual Summary Statistics May 2000. These will be published on 26 July 2001 and a copy will be placed in the Library.
These figures will be the first drawn from actual claims data. Any estimates made in advance of their publication will be substantially less accurate.
Estimates of the change in numbers of Housing Benefit recipients also in receipt of the Working Families Tax Credit caused by hypothetical changes to the Working Families Tax Credit threshold can be derived from the Department's Policy Simulation Model (2001–02). This information is in the table.
Estimated number of recipients of both Housing Benefit and Working Families Tax Credit Working Families Tar Credit threshold Number £120 30,000 £150 50,000 £200 70,000 Notes:
1. The estimated number of Housing Benefit and Working Families Tax Credit recipients is rounded to the nearest 10,000.
2. The estimates calibrate survey totals using the numbers of non-Income Support working age families [with earnings] receiving Housing Benefit picked up on the Policy Simulation Model compared to administrative data, as a proxy for the Working Families Tax Credit and Housing Benefit group.