HC Deb 19 April 2004 vol 420 cc25-6W
Miss Begg

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate(a) how many people, broken down by income decile would gain from and (b) the annual cost of raising the threshold for eligibility for all passported benefits to £14,200. [165081]

Dawn Primarolo

The principal passported benefits with thresholds below £14,200 are free school meals and welfare foods (free milk and vitamins) which are available to families in receipt of child tax credit, but not eligible for working tax credit, and with incomes up to £13,230 in 2003–04. Increasing this threshold to £14,200 would have a negligible impact on the number of eligible families and hence on costs.