Tax Credits: Public statistics

In this section you will find links to statistics about the current tax credits system as well as historical statistics on the old Working Families Tax Credit and Disabled Person’s Tax Credit.

HMRC Tax Credit Statistics

HMRC publish statistics about tax credits awards in two sets. The first set covers provisional awards and provides a snap shot at a specific date, the second set covers finalised awards for entitlement years. It is the finalised award statistics that show the overpayment figures for each year.

Geographical Statistics

Take up Rates for WTC & CTC

The following statistics show the take up rates for WTC and CTC. The take-up rates are the proportion of those entitled to tax credits who claim them, and are estimated using a combination of administrative and survey data according to the HMRC website. Since 2007-2008 figures have been expanded to include child benefit.

Error and Fraud statistics

The following links will take you to the HMRC error and fraud statistics which are compiled using the random enquiry programme which is ‘an annual statistical enquiry run by HMRC designed to measure levels of error and fraud in finalised tax credits awards’:

Older personal tax credits statistics are available via the National Archives

Last reviewed/updated 1 July 2022