Oral Answers to Questions

Luciana Berger Excerpts

Tuesday 6th March 2012 Commons Chamber

[Jessica Morden (Newport East) (Lab)]

1. What assessment he has made of the effect on families of the changes in eligibility rules for working tax credit to be introduced in April 2012.

[Luciana Berger (Liverpool, Wavertree) (Lab/Co-op)]

4. What assessment he has made of the effect on the economy of changes to the working tax credit to be introduced in April 2012.

[Jonathan Reynolds (Stalybridge and Hyde) (Lab/Co-op)]

6. What assessment he has made of the effect on the economy of changes to the working tax credit to be introduced in April 2012.

--- Later in debate ---

[Miss Smith]

I shall be precise. I can tell the hon. Lady that the number of vacancies was up by 11,000 in the last three months to January 2012, and 1.07 million people moved into employment in the last quarter.

[Luciana Berger]

I was interested to hear that response from the Minister because a representative of the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers in my constituency told me that in one supermarket alone close to 30 employees had requested extra hours. Those extra hours just do not exist. Will she confirm that from April a couple with children on the minimum wage who cannot increase their hours to 24 per week will be £728 better off out of work?

[Miss Smith]

I cannot comment on that particular set of circumstances, as the hon. Lady will appreciate, but the fact is that about 80% of households with children will see their tax credit awards rise. It was the previous Government who allowed nine out of 10 households with children to be eligible for tax credits. That was unsustainable and uncontrolled spending.