To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer in how many tax credit cases payments have been affected by technical difficulties in the last year for which figures are available; and what the average length of time taken to resolve such cases was. (291350)

The information is not available. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) works with its IT provider to identify and resolve tax credits claims affected by technical difficulties.

Where necessary, HMRC maintains affected tax credits claims by sending manual cash cheque payments to its customers. At the end of August 2009, less than 9,500 households’ tax credit claims were being processed clerically.