To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate his Department has made of (a) the number and (b) the amount of tax credits overpayments caused by the failure of a claimant to notify the Tax Credits Office of a change of circumstances in (i) 2005-06, (ii) 2006-07, (iii) 2007-08 and (iv) 2008-09. (308186)

The information is not available, as HM Revenue and Customs’ (HMRC) systems do not record why an overpayment has been made.

However, information on the number of families with tax credits awards, including information on overpayments at UK level can be found in the HMRC publications, “Child and Working Tax Credits Statistics. Finalised Annual Awards. Supplement on Payments”, available at:

www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/cwtc-quarterly-stats.htm