Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, (a) how many people other than parents (i) applied for and (ii) were granted specified adult childcare credits to obtain national insurance credits as an adult carer, caring for a child under 12, in each month since 6 April 2011 and (b) how much those national insurance credits have cost in each full tax year for which that scheme has been in place.
Specified Adult Childcare Class 3 National Insurance credits were introduced in April 2011. They can be claimed from the 1st October following the end of the relevant tax year. The figures for the number of people who (i) applied for and (ii) were granted these credits are as follows:
Applications Received
| 2012-13 | 2013-14 | 2014-15 | 2015-16 | 2016 |
October | 89 | 1240 | 153 | 148 | 207 |
November | 271 | 166 | 301 | 283 | |
December | 258 | 52 | 101 |
| |
January | 136 | 92 | 102 |
| |
February | 111 | 174 | 131 |
| |
March | N/A | 135 | 162 |
| |
April | 19 | 97 | 34 | 107 |
|
May | 88 | 120 | 38 | 116 |
|
June | 18 | 67 | 85 | N/A |
|
July | 23 | 108 | 166 | 99 |
|
August | 68 | 73 | 136 | 122 |
|
September | 391 | 76 | 118 | 115 |
|
Applications Approved
| 2012-13 | 2013-14 | 2014-15 | 2015-16 | 2016 |
October | 54 | 758 | 124 | 124 | 192 |
November | 183 | 147 | 271 | 261 | |
December | 191 | 48 | 88 |
| |
January | 99 | 80 | 87 |
| |
February | 85 | 149 | 114 |
| |
March | N/A | 119 | 138 |
| |
April | 18 | 65 | 29 | 83 |
|
May | 76 | 90 | 34 | 97 |
|
June | 16 | 49 | 80 | N/A |
|
July | 20 | 81 | 151 | 88 |
|
August | 54 | 61 | 111 | 110 |
|
September | 260 | 63 | 96 | 98 |
|
These figures have been taken from management information systems and are not official statistics. Information on applications approved in March 2014 and June 2016 cannot be recovered from the relevant IT system. Application figures for the period October 2012 to March 2013 are not available monthly.
Current spouses or partners of the person claiming child benefit for a child under 12 are not eligible for this type of credit. Former spouses or partners of the child’s parents may be eligible and will be included in these figures.
When the policy was introduced in April 2011 the Department for Work and Pensions estimated that the credits would generate an annual exchequer cost of £10,000 per year.