TheHawk

Answered by Jo Swinson

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Answered by Lord Carlile

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Answered by Lord Soley of Hammersmith

I was a probation officer but it is thirty years ago - the world has moved on! We did however make a lot of use of the third sector and I believe they still do. Certainly I would expect probation to involve many different community groups to be involved - it helps the offender and society.

Answered by Paul Rowen

We will reduce the number of people eligible for Tax Credits by over 2.5 million so only families on lower incomes are entitled. Means tested benefits allow the Government to target money at those on lower incomes but they are highly complex and suffer from low take up. Currently, 9 out of 10 families are eligible for some Tax Credits; it makes far more sense to give money to families this far up the income distribution through a universal benefit which is simple and has high take up. This is why we are increasing the amount of Child Benefit paid to every family by up to £250 per year. People on lower incomes will continue to receive Tax Credits and will receive more Child Benefit making the poorest families better off.

We will also return to stable, 6 month fixed, awards – ending the chaos and instability of the existing system, which is particularly damaging for families on low incomes. This will ensure that once people are given an award, the Treasury cannot claw it back. We will create much simpler, clearer award notices, so people can understand what they are entitled to and why.

We will change the burden of proof in any overpayments from the assumption that is the fault of the claimant to that it was the fault of the Tax Credit Office. We will create a statutory right of appeal against overpayments, with all overpayments due to official error being written off.

We would also seek to remove the couple’s penalty within the system that means single parents get more than parents living together, i.e. their is an incentive for couples to live apart.

Answered by John Hemming

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Answered by Philip Norton, Baron Norton of Louth

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Answered by Jenny Willott

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