Asked by: Tracy Brabin (Labour (Co-op) - Batley and Spen)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many applications for a tax-free childcare account have been started but not completed.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
The information requested is not readily available. Extensive analysis would be required to identify robust data on the number of childcare service applications that were started but subsequently not completed which would incur a disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Tracy Brabin (Labour (Co-op) - Batley and Spen)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many parents have closed a tax-free childcare account since that policy was introduced.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
To date more than 391,000 parents have opened a Tax–Free Childcare account and over 109,000 parents have used their account to make a payment to a childcare provider.
Around 313,000 of the parents who have opened a Tax-Free Childcare account applied at the same time as for 30 hours free childcare. 30 hours free childcare saves parents using the full 30 hours up to £5,000 per child per year.
Tax-Free Childcare account usage is substantially higher amongst parents who get Tax-Free Childcare only, compared to parents who have both a Tax-Free Childcare and 30 hours free childcare account.
8,265 Tax-Free Childcare accounts have been closed since the scheme launched in April 2017.
Asked by: Tracy Brabin (Labour (Co-op) - Batley and Spen)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many tax-free childcare accounts have (a) been created and (b) had at least one payment made from that account to date.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
To date more than 391,000 parents have opened a Tax–Free Childcare account and over 109,000 parents have used their account to make a payment to a childcare provider.
Around 313,000 of the parents who have opened a Tax-Free Childcare account applied at the same time as for 30 hours free childcare. 30 hours free childcare saves parents using the full 30 hours up to £5,000 per child per year.
Tax-Free Childcare account usage is substantially higher amongst parents who get Tax-Free Childcare only, compared to parents who have both a Tax-Free Childcare and 30 hours free childcare account.
8,265 Tax-Free Childcare accounts have been closed since the scheme launched in April 2017.
Asked by: Tracy Brabin (Labour (Co-op) - Batley and Spen)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made for the number of children with disabilities that are in receipt of tax-free childcare.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
There are currently 2,290 live Tax-Free Childcare accounts for disabled children.
Asked by: Tracy Brabin (Labour (Co-op) - Batley and Spen)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether it is his Department's policy to close the childcare vouchers scheme to new applicants on 4 October 2018.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
I refer the Honourable member to my statement made on 29 March 2018 www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-statements/?page=1&max=20&questiontype=AllQuestions&house=commons%2clords&member=4097
Asked by: Tracy Brabin (Labour (Co-op) - Batley and Spen)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people have joined a childcare voucher scheme in each of the last six months.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) does not hold this information. Childcare vouchers provided by employers are normally exempt from tax and National Insurance contributions. Therefore, employers are not required to report details to HMRC unless they provide more than the exempt amount to their employees.
Asked by: Tracy Brabin (Labour (Co-op) - Batley and Spen)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 24 April 2018 to Question 137634 on Children: Day Care, what funding his Department had allocated for (a) Call Centre Costs and (b) IT Support Costs in advance of financial year 2017-18.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
Parents apply for Tax-Free Childcare and 30 hours free childcare through a single online application - the childcare service. The forecast costs for running the childcare service for 2017-18 were £28.7million for the call centre and operational support and £16.1million for IT support.
Asked by: Tracy Brabin (Labour (Co-op) - Batley and Spen)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what guidance his Department has issued to childcare voucher providers on changes to data-handling as a result of the implementation of the General Data Protection Regulation.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
The Government and the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) recognise the challenges facing organisations across the UK in their preparations for the General Data Protection Regulation. The ICO is leading on providing guidance and support to UK organisations and has published a number of resources on the Commissioner's website (ico.org.uk) to help all organisations prepare.