Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Tom Greatrex and Priti Patel

Tuesday 27th January 2015 Commons Chamber

[Tom Greatrex (Rutherglen and Hamilton West) (Lab/Co-op)]

13. What proportion of recipients of tax credits are in employment.

[The Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury (Priti Patel)]

Seventy-one per cent. of households in receipt of tax credits are in employment.

[Tom Greatrex]

I thank the Minister for that confirmation that more than two thirds of people getting tax credits are in work. How can she claim to be helping working families when the Chancellor wants to cut their tax credits again, causing real-terms economic pain?

[Priti Patel]

Let us put this into some context. For a start, tax credit spending rocketed under the previous Government and throughout this Parliament we have made it abundantly clear that we support those with low incomes. Let us not forget either that the impact of Labour’s great recession is still being felt. We continue to help people with the cost of living through the increases in personal allowances, the freeze in fuel duty, cuts in council tax and, of course, by reducing the cost of child care.