Clause 11 - Maximum rate
Tax Credits Bill
4:15 pm
Professor Steve Webb (Northavon, Liberal Democrat)
That is a tremendously welcome announcement. I suppose, considering the matter, that that should have been obvious, but it did not jump out, and until today we did not have the assurance that the power in the Bill would be used.
Did the Paymaster General say that there would be a second adult element in respect of couples? I believe that she mentioned lone parents in the same breath. Was she effectively saying that lone parents would be deemed to be couples for the purpose of the working credit? What did she mean by that? We are separating children and adults—the clause relates to adults, not children—but are saying that couples will receive an extra amount for the second adult regardless of whether they have kids, but single people who have kids will receive an extra amount through the working credit. I hope that she understands why I am slightly confused by, although delighted with, what she has just said. What did she mean?