HC Deb 06 November 2003 vol 412 cc804-5W
Norman Lamb

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many nil awards have been made in respect of applications for(a) child and (b) working tax credit. [136149]

Ruth Kelly

Details of families who have child and working tax credit awards as at quarterly reference dates are published in "Child and Working Tax Credits. Quarterly Statistics". This appears on the Inland Revenue website at: www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/menu.htm

John Barrett

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his answer of 22 October 2003,Official Report, column 620W, on tax credits, what plans he has to make estimates of take-up of (a) child tax credit and (b) working tax credit broken down by (i) region, (ii) local authority and (iii) parliamentary constituency. [136358]

Dawn Primarolo

As I announced on 31 October, 5.9 million families are now receiving benefits through new tax credits. Estimating take-up will only be possible when the Family Resources Survey for 2003–04 becomes available.

Mr. Drew

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what the average waiting time for an NHS tax credit exemptions certificate was in the last year for which figures are available; [136486]

(2) what the procedure is for the Inland Revenue to provide details to the exemptions office of those people who are eligible for an NHS tax credit exemptions certificate [136487]

(3) how many people were eligible for an NHS tax credit exemptions certificate in the last year for which figures are available; and how many are still waiting to receive certificates. [136488]

Dawn Primarolo

Claims for tax credits are processed as quickly as possible. Claims for which no further information is required, and which pass the various pre award checks, go through the stages of calculating the award quickly and will normally be in payment within a few days. Once an award has been made, the Inland Revenue identifies the families who are entitled to a health costs exemption certificate and send the data to the Prescription Pricing Authority (PPA) to issue the certificates on behalf of the Department of Health. On receipt of the data the PPA processes tax credit exception claims and issues the certificate within 30 days of valid data being received. Data are sent monthly from the IR to the PPA.

Since the new tax credits were introduced in April 2003, the PPA has issued over 1.7 million certificates for tax credit claims. A certificate is issued on an individual basis and a couple would therefore receive one each.

The latest batch of data was received by the PPA on 24 October 2003 and issue of the associated certificates will be completed by 24 November 2003.