DRAFT Tax Credits (Income Thresholds and Determination of Rates) (Amendment) Regulations 2016

Christian Matheson Excerpts

Thursday 3rd March 2016 General Committees

[Christian Matheson (City of Chester) (Lab)]

I intend to speak only briefly to seek reassurance from the Minister on one particular matter. My hon. Friend the Member for Salford and Eccles and the hon. Member for Banff and Buchan both spoke eloquently about the problems that this measure may cause to people in insecure, low-paid work or on zero-hours contracts—some of the most vulnerable members of society. We hear a lot from Government about helping such people, but we are seeing less and less practical assistance. My hon. Friend the Member for Bristol South mentioned the problems with HMRC, and anybody who has tried to phone HMRC over the past few years will know of the difficulties there.

It could be that I need to apologise to the Minister as I have may have misunderstood this, but something that has not yet been mentioned is the effect that the requirement for real-time reporting will have on businesses, and small businesses in particular. They may have to report from week to week or month to month on fluctuations or changes in their employees’ pay. I am not talking about large corporations with big payroll departments and good IT infrastructure that can perhaps report automatically. Real-time reporting will be an additional strain on small and medium-sized businesses that are already doing monthly VAT returns and other returns for HMRC. Is not there a danger that, in addition to a burden on the lowest paid, there will be a burden on small and medium-sized businesses, in having to keep up with payment week to week and month to month? I should be grateful if the Minister could clarify that.