Asked by: Melanie Onn (Labour - Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what (a) training and (b) guidance has been provided to HMRC staff in relation to the variation in the two child limit exemption for kinship carers and adopters applying for child tax credit.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
HMRC fully recognises that the policy to provide support for a maximum of two children is a difficult and sensitive issue, and has set up procedures that are mindful of the sensitivities involved. HMRC has a specialist operational team to handle claims for exceptions relating to this policy. Dedicated guidance is in place for this team which is actively maintained to ensure it is kept up to date.
Asked by: Melanie Onn (Labour - Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what processes are in place to compensate kinship carers that are unable to claim child tax credit for their birth child in the period between 1 April 2017 and 28 November 2018 as a result of the two child exemption.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
The regulations to extend support for kinship carers and parents who adopt in Child Tax Credit (CTC) came into force on 28 November 2018. HMRC is already in contact with a number of families who may qualify for additional support and will be contacting all CTC claimants who have added a third or subsequent child to their award since 6 April 2017 to advise them of the policy change. Anyone who thinks they may have been affected by the policy change will be advised to get in touch with HMRC's specialist operational team. All individuals who qualify for the extension, will receive payment for their third or subsequent child from the date the child, or children, were added to their award.
Asked by: Melanie Onn (Labour - Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the savings that will accrue to the public purse in financial years (a) 2017-18, (b) 2018-19 and (c) 2019-20 as a result of kinship carers with two children in a household not being able to claim child tax credit for their own baby.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
I refer the Honourable Member to the answer given on 17 October in response to question 107327.
Asked by: Melanie Onn (Labour - Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many kinship carers have been denied child tax credit for a baby to whom they or their partner have given birth since 6 April 2017.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
I refer the Honourable Member to the answer given on 19 October in response to question 107976.
Asked by: Melanie Onn (Labour - Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many first time buyers in (a) Great Grimsby constituency and (b) the UK he expects to benefit from the changes to stamp duty announced in Autumn Budget 2017 in each of the next five years.
Answered by Mel Stride - Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer
The estimated numbers of purchases benefitting from the Stamp Duty Land Tax relief for first-time buyers in the UK in each of the next five years are as follows:
| England and Northern Ireland |
2018/19 | 209,000 |
2019/20 | 213,000 |
2020/21 | 216,000 |
2021/22 | 219,000 |
2022/23 | 223,000 |
SDLT is devolved in Scotland and will be devolved to Wales from April 2018. The figures in the table therefore relate to England and Northern Ireland. HMRC is unable to provide estimates for first time buyers at a constituency level.
Asked by: Melanie Onn (Labour - Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate his Department has made of the number of first-time buyers who will benefit from the changes to stamp duty announced in Autumn Budget 2017 in each of the next five years.
Answered by Mel Stride - Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer
The estimated numbers of purchases benefitting from the Stamp Duty Land Tax relief for first-time buyers in the UK in each of the next five years are as follows:
| England and Northern Ireland |
2018/19 | 209,000 |
2019/20 | 213,000 |
2020/21 | 216,000 |
2021/22 | 219,000 |
2022/23 | 223,000 |
SDLT is devolved in Scotland and will be devolved to Wales from April 2018. The figures in the table therefore relate to England and Northern Ireland. HMRC is unable to provide estimates for first time buyers at a constituency level.
Asked by: Melanie Onn (Labour - Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate his Department has made of the number of kinship carers who will be unable to claim child tax credit for their own baby as a result of the restriction of child tax credit to two children within the household in the financial years (a) 2017-18, (b) 2018-19 and (c) 2019-20.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
I refer the Honourable Member to the answer given on 17 October in response to question 107327.
Asked by: Melanie Onn (Labour - Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many kinship carers have been denied child tax credit, for a baby to whom they or their partner have given birth, as a result of the restriction of child tax credit to two children in a household since 6 April 2017.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
The government is committed to making the welfare system fair for those who pay for it as well as those who benefit from it. In recognition that some tax credit claimants are not able to make choices about the number of children in their family, the government has provided exceptions for certain groups, including in cases of kinship care.
Data on the exceptions is intended for publication at a future date following quality assurance.
Asked by: Melanie Onn (Labour - Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the potential number of kinship carers who will be unable to claim child tax credit for their own baby because of the restriction of child tax credit to two children in a household in each of the next three years.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
The government is committed to making the welfare system fair for those who pay for it as well as those who benefit from it. Families on benefits should have to make the same financial decisions as families supporting themselves solely through work. However, in recognition that some claimants are not able to make choices about the number of children in their family, the government has provided exemptions for certain groups, including in cases of kinship care. The total costs of the exceptions for third and subsequent children are set out in the following link:
Asked by: Melanie Onn (Labour - Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the likely savings that will accrue in each of the next three years from restricting child tax credit to two children for kinship carers who care for additional dependents.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
The government is committed to making the welfare system fair for those who pay for it as well as those who benefit from it. Families on benefits should have to make the same financial decisions as families supporting themselves solely through work. However, in recognition that some claimants are not able to make choices about the number of children in their family, the government has provided exemptions for certain groups, including in cases of kinship care. The total costs of the exceptions for third and subsequent children are set out in the following link: