Written question asked by James Clappison (Conservative) on Monday, 13 June 2005, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 15 June 2005. It was answered by Baroness Primarolo (Labour) on Thursday, 16 June 2005 on behalf of the Treasury.

Tax Credit (Overpayments)

Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many recipients of tax credits are being pursued for repayments as a result of overpayment of tax credits in (a) Hertsmere and (b) Hertfordshire.

Answer: HMRC has published statistics that show estimates of the number of 2003–04 awards to families that were overpaid in each region, local authority and constituency at 5 April 2004, after finalisation. The estimates are based on samples and are subject to significant sampling uncertainty. The publication can be found on the HMRC website at: http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/cwtc-pyts_geog0304.pdfDetails of how overpayments are recovered are provided in the Department's Code of Practice 26 ““What happens if we have paid you too much tax credit.””

Secondary information