The information is not available for the dates requested. The following table shows the estimate number of (a) men and (b) women in Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk who were claimants in in-work families with tax credits awards in payment at 5 December 2005 and 3 April 2006.
Men Women 5 December 2005 6.5 7.7 3 April 2006 6.4 7.8 Note: These estimates based on a 10 per cent. sample of single adults, and a 20 per cent. sample of couples, in tax credits awards. They are therefore subject to sampling uncertainty.
The deadline for renewals was 30 September in 2005 and 31 August in 2006.
Outstanding reply-required renewals in the week ending: Number 30 July 2005 1,500,000 3 September 2005 800,000 1 October 2005 300,000 1 July 2006 1,600,000 29 July 2006 1,100,000 2 September 2006 300,000
Full-time equivalent claimant compliance staffing figures are:
Number (around) 2003-04 1,200 2004-05 1,200 2005-06 1,220 2006-07 1,420 2007-08 1,420
HMRC successfully prevent many false claims going into payment, but it is not possible to estimate how many people may be involved in such attempts.
The tax credit system is improved on a cycle of updates. The most recent update was 30 October 2006.
All calls to the tax credits helpline are automatically digitally recorded and archived. There is no direct staff involvement.
(2) what investigation his Department has undertaken into tax credit fraud involving giro cheques.
HMRC takes fraud very seriously and has a range of checks in place to identify fraud. HMRC do not keep separate statistics of fraud involving giro cheques.
The information is not available in the format requested.
HM Revenue and Customs issue automated cash cheque payments in circumstances where it is not possible to pay tax credits into a bank, building society or Post Office Card Account.
Cash cheque payments are also made manually, in exceptional circumstances, to prevent hardship, or where a claimant is temporarily out of payment.
Estimates for 2003-04 and 2004-05 of the numbers of in-work families with tax credits awards by constituency, based on final family circumstances and incomes for 2003-04 and 2004-05 are published in “Child and Working Tax Credits. Finalised Awards 2003-04 Geographical Analysis” and the “Child and Working Tax Credits. Finalised Awards 2004-05 Geographical Analysis”. These publications and provisional estimates for the number of in-work families by constituency with tax credit awards as at selected dates in 2005-06 are available on the HMRC website at:
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/cwtc-geog-stats.htm.
Information on number of people, in the constituency of Beverley and Holderness, who are receiving tax credits by giro cheque is not available except at disproportionate cost.
The circumstances in which HM Revenue and Customs will make compensation payments to its customers are explained in the Department's Code of Practice 1 “Putting things right” which is available at www.hmrc.gov.uk. The Department will pay compensation for reasonable costs incurred as a direct result of its mistakes or delays and to recognise worry and distress caused by those mistakes and delays. It does not keep separate details of compensation payments made specifically due to “maladministration” or “poor service”.