Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of removing the minimum hours requirements for working tax credits.

In response to the Covid-19 crisis, HMRC has changed the Working Tax Credit regulations so that any interruption or lowering of hours worked is treated as temporary for the duration of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. This allows claimants to remain on Working Tax Credit when entitlement would otherwise have ended.

This is in addition to a wider package of welfare measures to support families including a £20 per week increase to the basic element of Working Tax Credit and the Universal Credit standard allowance.