Tax Credits

HC Deb 17 July 2003 vol 409 cc463-6W

Mr. Webb

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many requests for(a) compensation, (b) back costs and (c) compensation for worry and distress due to mishandling of child and working tax credit applications have been received in each of the last six months; of that number how many have been paid; and how much the average award was. [126389]

Dawn Primarolo

I refer the hon. Member to what I said during the debate in the House on 7 July 2003,Official Report, column 860.

John Barrett

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his answer of 10 June 2003,Official Report, column 746W, on child/working tax credit, whether the statistics on awards in August will be broken down by (a) local authority and (b) parliamentary constituency. [119731]

Dawn Primarolo

Following earlier statements on this subject, I can update: the House to say that statistics on child and working tax credit awards will be published on 10 September. This will include estimates for each local authority and parliamentary constituency.

Mr. Willetts

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much the average claim for(a) the child tax credit and (b) the working tax credit is expected to be worth in the current financial year. [119920]

Dawn Primarolo

Statistics on average awards will be published after the end of the tax year, when awards have been finalised.

Mr. Peter Duncan

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what guidance has been given to officers on settlement of arrears in payment of working tax credits. [115804]

Dawn Primarolo

As soon as a claim has been processed and a decision made, any arrears payable are generally paid immediately in one lump sum. Where for any reason this does not happen automatically, claimants should contact the Inland Revenue.

Hywel Williams

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his latest estimate is of the numbers of outstanding claims for(a) working tax credit and (b) child tax credit; and how many of these were submitted before 4 April 2003. [116826]

Dawn Primarolo

There is a single application form for the two tax credits. As I said in the adjournment debate on 7 July, the Inland Revenue has now put in payment claims from more than 4.25 million families. There were also a further 186,000 claims where the further information was required or were being verified (sixty per cent, of which have arrived since 1 June 2003).

I also stated before the Treasury Select Committee on 2 July 2003 that 130,000 claims had been rejected because the claimants were ineligible or because the necessary information had not been supplied despite requests to do so.

Mr. Peter Duncan

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what penalties are enforceable against the provider of computer equipment to implement the change in the system of tax credits. [118315]

Dawn Primarolo

I have asked the Inland Revenue to open discussion with the IT contractor on the question of redress. The contract provides that the Inland Revenue can seek redress to recover additional business costs which are attributable to the failings of the IT services.

Mr. Webb

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many claims for emergency interim payments relating to child tax credit applications have been made; and of that number how many have been paid; and what the(a) average and (b) total value of those payments is; [122696]

(2) how many claims for emergency interim payments relating to tax credits have been made in each of the last 12 months; how many have been paid; and what the (a) average and (b) total value is of those payments. [123021]

John Thurso

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many claims for emergency interim payments relating to tax credits have been made in each of the last 12 months; how many have been paid; and what the(a) average and (b) total value is of those payments, broken down by region; [124527]

(2) how many claims for emergency interim payments relating to child tax credit applications have been made; of that number how many have been paid; and what the (a) average and (b) total value of those payments is, broken down by region. [124528]

Dawn Primarolo

The number of individual same day interim payments made through local offices to claimants of child tax credit (CTC) and working tax credit (WTC) in each month is shown in the following table. Also shown is the number of automatic direct payments made centrally to these claimants in each month.

2003	Number of same day interim payments made through local offices	Number of automatic direct payments made centrally (million)
April	25,000	8.5
May	175,000	9
June	75,000	9.5
Total to June	275,000	27

The interim payments cover both CTC and WTC, where appropriate, so no separate figures are available for CTC.

Very few similar payments were made for working families' and disabled person's tax credits from July 2002.

No figures are available for the average or total value of these payments, or for the number of claims for such payments that have been refused.

Andrew Selous

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the Inland Revenue will pay compensation for(a) bank charges and (b) mortgage penalty payments incurred as a result of the late or nonpayment of tax credits. [125195]

Dawn Primarolo

I refer the hon. Member to what I said during the debate in the House on 7 July 2003,Official Report, column 860.

Miss McIntosh

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer where a person is owed tax credit back-payments, what mechanism there is for paying it in one lump sum rather than in weekly instalments; and if he will make it his policy to ensure that all eligible claims are paid arrears in a lump sum. [125478]

Mr. Webb

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer over what period of time and at what intervals backdated child tax credit awards will be paid; and if he will make a statement. [126386]

Dawn Primarolo

As soon as a claim has been processed and a decision made, any arrears payable are generally paid immediately in one lump sum. Where for any reason this does not happen automatically, claimants should contact the Inland Revenue.

Mr. Denis Murphy

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many persons in the Wansbeck constituency are in receipt of(a) child tax credit and (b) working tax credit; and how many claims are waiting to be processed. [126724]

Dawn Primarolo

Statistics on awards of these tax credits will be published. For progress in processing claims, I refer my hon. Friend to my remarks during the debate on 7 July 2003,Official Report, column 859. Breakdowns by constituency of the figures that I gave are not available.

Bob Russell

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many letters to the Inland Revenue from right hon. and hon. Members about working families tax credit applications are awaiting a reply. [123368]

Dawn Primarolo

As at 30 June 2003 there were 35 letters from right hon. and hon. Members to the Inland Revenue about working families tax credit applications that were awaiting a reply.

Bob Russell

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will provide extra resources to help the Inland Revenue in responding to correspondence from right hon. and hon. Members about working families tax credit applications. [123369]

Dawn Primarolo

Extra resources are not required to help the Inland Revenue to respond to letters from right hon. and hon. Members about working families tax credit applications.