Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many (a) working tax credit and (b) child tax credit claims have been overpaid in the most recent 12 months for which data is available; what the total value of such overpayments was; what the (i) smallest, (ii) average and (iii) largest such overpayment was; and how many such overpayments have been overturned.

Due to the nature of Tax Credits payments it is not possible to divide overpayments between Working Tax Credits and Child Tax Credits.

Figures on the number of overpaid Working Tax Credits and Child Tax Credits claims in 2014-15 and the aggregate amount can be found on page 8 of the Child and Working Tax Credits, Finalised Annual Awards, Supplement on Payments National Statistics. This is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/525468/cwtc_awards_sup.pdf

The distribution by value of overpayments and underpayments is shown in table 3 of the same document.

The figures for overpayments in 2014-15 are based on finalised award data. The vast majority of disputes regarding entitlement occur before the end of the finalisation process.