Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people received reliefs with tax expenditure and structural components on marriage allowance in (a) 2015-16, (b) 2016-17 and (c) 2017-18.

In 2015/16, 644,916 couples claimed Marriage Allowance.

In 2016/17, 1,172,792 couples claimed Marriage Allowance (in addition to those who claimed in 2015/16).

The total number of couples up to 27 March 2018 that have successfully claimed Marriage Allowance, including claims made in 2017/18, is 2,794,024.

Eligible couples who have yet to claim Marriage Allowance for the 2015/16 tax year will not lose out as they have until 5 April 2020 to do so.