§ Mr. KirkwoodTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his latest estimates are of the administrative costs, in total and per claimant household, of(a) child benefit and (b) working families tax credit. [116782]
§ Malcolm WicksChild benefit is a universal, non-means tested payment made to families regardless of the level of income. The latest estimates for child benefit are that the total administrative cost is1 £125 million, or an average cost per family of £0.34 per week.
WFTC is an individually assessed, income-related payment made to families with children where at least one partner works for at least 16 hours a week. The amount of the payment is dependent upon a range of factors including the hours worked, the size of the family and the age of the children. It may also take account of expenditure the family incurs in respect of child care. It is administered by the Inland Revenue; and they estimate that the total administrative cost is £133.8 million (£1.92 per family per week). I understand that they will publish further figures shortly.
Notes:
1 The figures for child benefit are the estimated administrative costs for 1998–99 taken from the Social Security Departmental Report: The Government's Expenditure Plans for 2000–01 to 2001–02.
2 These figures are estimates for the 12 months to March 2001.