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Tax Credits

The reports today from the parliamentary ombudsman and the CAB paint a devastating picture of the administrative chaos, computer errors and political misjudgments at the heart of the tax credit system. The response of the Paymaster General today—that she made a written statement a month ago and replied to an Adjournment debate in the House—is not enough, as the CAB makes clear in its report today, not least because some of the changes that the right hon. Lady was talking about may be 18 months away. That is not good enough for a system that is supposed to help low-income families, but in the words of the CAB has"““plunged many below the breadline and into mounting debt””." Does the Paymaster General agree with the CAB about that? Does the right hon. Lady agree with the ombudsman, who said today that many families"““have to borrow money from family and friends to support their children, using up their life’s savings or running up credit card debts in order to pay for child care costs, buy food and get to work””?" [Interruption.]