Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has to place on a statutory basis the transfer of information between HMRC and the Department for Work and Pensions relating to eligibility for tax credits and their interaction with other qualifying disability benefits so as to allow for redress in cases of incorrect decisions.

It remains a fundamental principle that claimants are responsible for notifying HMRC of any changes in their circumstances and for claiming the entitlement they may be eligible for.

Although there are no plans to put the administrative processes currently used on a statutory footing, DWP routinely share information with HMRC about the start and end dates of disability benefit awards to underpin claimant notification and ensure correct decisions are made about tax credits entitlement.

Furthermore, the Government has recently legislated to ensure that HMRC have the full powers to review tax credits awards as intended, and apply disability elements in retrospect where appropriate.