Asked by: Jonathan Ashworth (Labour (Co-op) - Leicester South)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many Child Trust Fund accounts have been locked because the account holder lacks mental capacity; and how much is contained in these funds.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
HMRC does not have records of Child Trust Fund (CTF) accounts that cannot be accessed because the account holder lacks mental capacityAsked by: Jonathan Ashworth (Labour (Co-op) - Leicester South)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has to simplify the process by which families of children with terminal health conditions may access Child Trust Funds.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
HMRC has worked closely with Child Trust Fund (CTF) providers, the wider industry and the Money and Pensions Service to ensure that young people are aware of, and can access, their CTFs.
HMRC has:
· required CTF providers to write to their customers informing them of their options in their 17th year and to provide statements annually after the account holder turns 18.
· worked closely with CTF providers to ensure they are meeting regulatory requirements to communicate with CTF customers approaching and reaching maturity.
· developed and improved the ‘Find my CTF’ service on GOV.uk to help customers locate their account.
· added information to the National Insurance Notification (NINO) letter, which is sent out prior to a child’s 16th birthday, to raise awareness of the CTF scheme with children in the appropriate age bracket
· issued a range of communications through regular press releases and social media posts.
Children with maturing CTFs also receive a significant amount of written information pertaining to their account directly from their account provider.
Information on the number of CTFs that have matured and were recorded as continuing as of the 5th of April 2021 is available in HMRC Annual Savings Statistics: www.gov.uk/government/statistics/annual-savings-statistics-2022.
We cannot provide an estimate of the number of mature continuing CTFs by region, disability, or ethnicity as we do not hold that data.
Estimates of the number of mature continuing CTFs by gender or income decile can only be provided at a disproportionate cost.
The scheme has been closed to new entrants for over 12 years. In this time HMRC has been focusing resources on evaluating and improving existing schemes. We will continue to keep the need to evaluate old schemes under review.
The process for accessing CTF accounts for terminally ill children is kept as simple as possible, while protecting the interests of the child. Only a person with parental responsibility can take money out of a terminally ill child’s account.
To access the CTF of a child with a terminal illness, the parent or guardian completes an application form on Gov.uk and provides evidence of receipt of terminal illness benefit from the Department of Work and Pensions or Social Security Scotland. If they are not receiving any such benefit, they can provide evidence from a medical practitioner about the child’s illness.
Asked by: Jonathan Ashworth (Labour (Co-op) - Leicester South)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps the Government is taking to increase children's and young people's awareness of Child Trust Funds.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
HMRC has worked closely with Child Trust Fund (CTF) providers, the wider industry and the Money and Pensions Service to ensure that young people are aware of, and can access, their CTFs.
HMRC has:
· required CTF providers to write to their customers informing them of their options in their 17th year and to provide statements annually after the account holder turns 18.
· worked closely with CTF providers to ensure they are meeting regulatory requirements to communicate with CTF customers approaching and reaching maturity.
· developed and improved the ‘Find my CTF’ service on GOV.uk to help customers locate their account.
· added information to the National Insurance Notification (NINO) letter, which is sent out prior to a child’s 16th birthday, to raise awareness of the CTF scheme with children in the appropriate age bracket
· issued a range of communications through regular press releases and social media posts.
Children with maturing CTFs also receive a significant amount of written information pertaining to their account directly from their account provider.
Information on the number of CTFs that have matured and were recorded as continuing as of the 5th of April 2021 is available in HMRC Annual Savings Statistics: www.gov.uk/government/statistics/annual-savings-statistics-2022.
We cannot provide an estimate of the number of mature continuing CTFs by region, disability, or ethnicity as we do not hold that data.
Estimates of the number of mature continuing CTFs by gender or income decile can only be provided at a disproportionate cost.
The scheme has been closed to new entrants for over 12 years. In this time HMRC has been focusing resources on evaluating and improving existing schemes. We will continue to keep the need to evaluate old schemes under review.
The process for accessing CTF accounts for terminally ill children is kept as simple as possible, while protecting the interests of the child. Only a person with parental responsibility can take money out of a terminally ill child’s account.
To access the CTF of a child with a terminal illness, the parent or guardian completes an application form on Gov.uk and provides evidence of receipt of terminal illness benefit from the Department of Work and Pensions or Social Security Scotland. If they are not receiving any such benefit, they can provide evidence from a medical practitioner about the child’s illness.
Asked by: Jonathan Ashworth (Labour (Co-op) - Leicester South)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the National Audit Office report entitled Investigation into Child Trust Funds published on 14 March 2023, for what reason the Government has not planned to commission additional data collection to enable an evaluation of the Child Trust Fund scheme.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
HMRC has worked closely with Child Trust Fund (CTF) providers, the wider industry and the Money and Pensions Service to ensure that young people are aware of, and can access, their CTFs.
HMRC has:
· required CTF providers to write to their customers informing them of their options in their 17th year and to provide statements annually after the account holder turns 18.
· worked closely with CTF providers to ensure they are meeting regulatory requirements to communicate with CTF customers approaching and reaching maturity.
· developed and improved the ‘Find my CTF’ service on GOV.uk to help customers locate their account.
· added information to the National Insurance Notification (NINO) letter, which is sent out prior to a child’s 16th birthday, to raise awareness of the CTF scheme with children in the appropriate age bracket
· issued a range of communications through regular press releases and social media posts.
Children with maturing CTFs also receive a significant amount of written information pertaining to their account directly from their account provider.
Information on the number of CTFs that have matured and were recorded as continuing as of the 5th of April 2021 is available in HMRC Annual Savings Statistics: www.gov.uk/government/statistics/annual-savings-statistics-2022.
We cannot provide an estimate of the number of mature continuing CTFs by region, disability, or ethnicity as we do not hold that data.
Estimates of the number of mature continuing CTFs by gender or income decile can only be provided at a disproportionate cost.
The scheme has been closed to new entrants for over 12 years. In this time HMRC has been focusing resources on evaluating and improving existing schemes. We will continue to keep the need to evaluate old schemes under review.
The process for accessing CTF accounts for terminally ill children is kept as simple as possible, while protecting the interests of the child. Only a person with parental responsibility can take money out of a terminally ill child’s account.
To access the CTF of a child with a terminal illness, the parent or guardian completes an application form on Gov.uk and provides evidence of receipt of terminal illness benefit from the Department of Work and Pensions or Social Security Scotland. If they are not receiving any such benefit, they can provide evidence from a medical practitioner about the child’s illness.
Asked by: Jonathan Ashworth (Labour (Co-op) - Leicester South)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an estimate of the number of account holders with unclaimed mature Child Trust Funds broken down by (a) region, (b) gender, (c) ethnicity, (d) disability and (e) income decile.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
HMRC has worked closely with Child Trust Fund (CTF) providers, the wider industry and the Money and Pensions Service to ensure that young people are aware of, and can access, their CTFs.
HMRC has:
· required CTF providers to write to their customers informing them of their options in their 17th year and to provide statements annually after the account holder turns 18.
· worked closely with CTF providers to ensure they are meeting regulatory requirements to communicate with CTF customers approaching and reaching maturity.
· developed and improved the ‘Find my CTF’ service on GOV.uk to help customers locate their account.
· added information to the National Insurance Notification (NINO) letter, which is sent out prior to a child’s 16th birthday, to raise awareness of the CTF scheme with children in the appropriate age bracket
· issued a range of communications through regular press releases and social media posts.
Children with maturing CTFs also receive a significant amount of written information pertaining to their account directly from their account provider.
Information on the number of CTFs that have matured and were recorded as continuing as of the 5th of April 2021 is available in HMRC Annual Savings Statistics: www.gov.uk/government/statistics/annual-savings-statistics-2022.
We cannot provide an estimate of the number of mature continuing CTFs by region, disability, or ethnicity as we do not hold that data.
Estimates of the number of mature continuing CTFs by gender or income decile can only be provided at a disproportionate cost.
The scheme has been closed to new entrants for over 12 years. In this time HMRC has been focusing resources on evaluating and improving existing schemes. We will continue to keep the need to evaluate old schemes under review.
The process for accessing CTF accounts for terminally ill children is kept as simple as possible, while protecting the interests of the child. Only a person with parental responsibility can take money out of a terminally ill child’s account.
To access the CTF of a child with a terminal illness, the parent or guardian completes an application form on Gov.uk and provides evidence of receipt of terminal illness benefit from the Department of Work and Pensions or Social Security Scotland. If they are not receiving any such benefit, they can provide evidence from a medical practitioner about the child’s illness.
Asked by: Jonathan Ashworth (Labour (Co-op) - Leicester South)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to help ensure that unclaimed mature Child Trust Funds are claimed by account holders.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
HMRC has worked closely with Child Trust Fund (CTF) providers, the wider industry and the Money and Pensions Service to ensure that young people are aware of, and can access, their CTFs.
HMRC has:
· required CTF providers to write to their customers informing them of their options in their 17th year and to provide statements annually after the account holder turns 18.
· worked closely with CTF providers to ensure they are meeting regulatory requirements to communicate with CTF customers approaching and reaching maturity.
· developed and improved the ‘Find my CTF’ service on GOV.uk to help customers locate their account.
· added information to the National Insurance Notification (NINO) letter, which is sent out prior to a child’s 16th birthday, to raise awareness of the CTF scheme with children in the appropriate age bracket
· issued a range of communications through regular press releases and social media posts.
Children with maturing CTFs also receive a significant amount of written information pertaining to their account directly from their account provider.
Information on the number of CTFs that have matured and were recorded as continuing as of the 5th of April 2021 is available in HMRC Annual Savings Statistics: www.gov.uk/government/statistics/annual-savings-statistics-2022.
We cannot provide an estimate of the number of mature continuing CTFs by region, disability, or ethnicity as we do not hold that data.
Estimates of the number of mature continuing CTFs by gender or income decile can only be provided at a disproportionate cost.
The scheme has been closed to new entrants for over 12 years. In this time HMRC has been focusing resources on evaluating and improving existing schemes. We will continue to keep the need to evaluate old schemes under review.
The process for accessing CTF accounts for terminally ill children is kept as simple as possible, while protecting the interests of the child. Only a person with parental responsibility can take money out of a terminally ill child’s account.
To access the CTF of a child with a terminal illness, the parent or guardian completes an application form on Gov.uk and provides evidence of receipt of terminal illness benefit from the Department of Work and Pensions or Social Security Scotland. If they are not receiving any such benefit, they can provide evidence from a medical practitioner about the child’s illness.
Asked by: Jonathan Ashworth (Labour (Co-op) - Leicester South)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people above state pension age were paying income tax in each financial year from 2009-10 to 2021-22.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
The Government publish estimates of the number of Income Tax payers who are above the state pension age. This is available in National Statistics Table 2.1 Number of individual Income Tax payers available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/number-of-individual-income-taxpayers-by-marginal-rate-gender-and-age
Asked by: Jonathan Ashworth (Labour (Co-op) - Leicester South)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of economic inactivity on national GDP.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
In the Autumn Statement on 17 November, the Chancellor set out to the House the Office for Budget Responsibility’s latest economic forecasts. These include forecasts for GDP and take into account recent data on the labour market.
Asked by: Jonathan Ashworth (Labour (Co-op) - Leicester South)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the recovery of historic tax credit overpayments is taken into account in the Government's projected revenue and expenditure plans.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
The expenditure forecast for personal tax credits, published by the Office for Budget Responsibility, is produced on a cash basis. As such it includes cash movements such as recoveries of previous overpayments.
Asked by: Jonathan Ashworth (Labour (Co-op) - Leicester South)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions he has had with (a) Cabinet colleagues and (b) stakeholders on reforming pension tax relief.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. Details of ministerial and permanent secretary meetings with external organisations on departmental business are published on a quarterly basis and are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmt-ministers-meetings-hospitality-gifts-and-overseas-travel
At Summer Budget 2015 the Government conducted a consultation on whether there was a case for reforming pensions tax relief to strengthen incentives to save, and offer savers greater simplicity and transparency, or whether it would be best to keep with the current system. Responses to the consultation indicated that there was no clear consensus for reform at that time, and so at Budget 2016 the Government announced that it would not be making fundamental reform to the pensions tax system.
As ever, the Government keeps all aspects of the tax system under review, as part of the annual Budget process, and in the context of the wider public finances.