Tax Credits

Part of Oral Answers to Questions — Treasury – in the House of Commons at 10:30 am on 25 January 2007.

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Photo of Dawn Primarolo Dawn Primarolo Paymaster General (HM Treasury) 10:30, 25 January 2007

No. I am not sure what message the hon. Lady wants to send out. Is it that if a couple are overpaid and do not want to pay back their tax credits, they should split up? [Hon. Members: "No."] There is a serious question about the application for tax credits when it is made by a couple. Some circumstances warrant further attention on policy grounds. I confirmed that I was doing my best to look at that. The hon. Lady has a cheek to raise a question on joint and several liability when her party, when in government, introduced it for the poll tax. Let us remember that two signatures go on the forms, the application is jointly made and the tax credits are jointly paid. If they are overpaid, they must be recovered.