Social Security Benefits

Jenny Willott
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what the take-up rate of (a) child tax credit, (b) working tax credit and (c) child benefit among those eligible has been in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement;

(2) what estimate he has made of the number of children living in households eligible for but not claiming (a) child tax credit, (b) working tax credit and (c) child benefit in the last period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy
Child and working tax credits were introduced in April 2003.

Estimates of take-up rates for child and working tax credit in 2005-06 and 2006-07 are not available. Estimates for 2003-04 and 2004-05, are produced in the HMRC publications “Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit. Take-up Rates” for each relevant year. These publications are available on the HMRC website at: http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/cwtc-take-up.htm. Table 7 of these publications also detail the estimated number of in-work entitled non-recipients, by family size.

A precise take-up rate for child benefit is not available, but it is estimated that approximately 2 per cent. of families, although entitled, do not claim child benefit. The number of children living in households eligible for but not claiming child benefit is not available.