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18 Dec 2007 : Column 1500W—continued
Welfare Tax Credits: Overpayments
Lady Hermon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what HM Revenue and Customs' policy is on the recovery of overpaid tax credit in cases where a joint award was made but the couple has separated. [166319]
Jane Kennedy: In cases where a household has broken down, both customers remain jointly and severally liable in law for any outstanding overpayment.
However, the law also allows HM Revenue and Customs to exercise discretion over how much of any overpayment it seeks to recover. In cases where a couple have separated, HMRC will consider carefully how much it should seek to recover from each of the parties, while still recognising that it has the legal
authority to collect back the full amount from either of the parties and a duty to protect the public finances.
Danny Alexander: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much was collected in repayment of tax credit overpayments by HM Revenue and Customs in each month since April 2003. [175156]
Jane Kennedy: The information requested is available only at disproportionate cost.
Information relating to the recovery of overpayments of 2003-04, 2004-05 and 2005-06 tax credit awards is contained in section 2, table 4, of the Comptroller and Auditor General’s Standard Report in the HM Revenue and Customs 2006-07 Accounts, which is available on the HMRC website at:
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