Tax Credits (Hansard, 19 September 2003)

§ Mr. Webb
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Galloway and Upper Nithsdale (Mr. Duncan) of 3 July 2003,Official 1102W Report, column 377W, on tax credits, how many written appeals against tax credit decisions for (a) disagreements about award notices and (b) reporting changes in circumstances have teen received in each of the last six months; and of those, how many were found to be in favour of the appellant. [126545]

§ Mr. Dhanda
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what action he is taking to reduce the length of time it takes for the Inland Revenue to make a decision on appeals about the level of tax credit awarded; [128212]
(2) what assessment he has made of the length of time it takes for the Inland Revenue to make a decision on appeals about the level of tax credit awarded. [128213]

§ Dawn Primarolo
Up to the end of August, when over 4.6 million claims were in payment, less than 0.5 per cent. had had written correspondence classified as CTC or WTC appeals. Over half of these appeals had been settled by 31 August.
The Inland Revenue has increased the resources allocated to handling appeals against tax credit awards. This has had a significant impact on its handling of appeals, in further improving the rate at which appeals are settled.

§ Mr. Webb
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many claims for compensation in relation to the delivery of the child and working tax credits have been received; and how many have been(a) processed, (b) successful and (c) unsuccessful. [128749]

§ Dawn Primarolo
The information is not available in the form requested.

§ Dr. Cable
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many letters to the Inland Revenue from right hon. and hon. Members about working family tax credit applications were awaiting a reply on 31 August; how many of those were over(a) 30 days old and (b) 60 days old; and if he will make a statement. [128802]

§ Dawn Primarolo
At mid-September 2003 there were no letters from right hon. and hon. Members about working families tax credit applications awaiting a reply.

§ Clive Efford
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the total paid out since May 1997 to increase family incomes has been; and what has been the average gain per family(a) in the UK and (b) in Eltham. [129432]
1103W

§ Dawn Primarolo
Total benefit and tax credit expenditure directed at children from 1997–98 to 2003–04 (in 2003–04 prices) is estimated at £106 billion. The real terms increase in annual spending on financial support for children over this period is 87 per cent.
As a result of personal tax and benefit measures on average families with children in the UK are £1,200 better off in real terms this year compared with 1997–98. It is not possible to estimate the equivalent gain for families living in Eltham.

§ Mr. Laws
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the effect on employment of the working tax credit; and if he will make a statement.[130016]

§ Dawn Primarolo
[holding answer 16 September 2003]: The working families' tax credit was designed to improve work incentives and help families move into employment, and evaluation findings will be published in due course. Building on the success of WFTC, the new working tax credit is a further step in improving in-work support for low earners.