Local Liberal Democrat leader Cllr Chris Millington has hit out at the government's disgraceful tax credit record after the government published records showing they overpaid £2.5 million of tax credits to residents of Harlow in 2005/06.

At the same time they failed to pay over 1,300 Harlow families the tax credit awards they were entitled to. This amounted to a massive underpayment of £800,000. Local Liberal Democrat councillor Chris Millington said:

"The government's record on tax credits here in Harlow is a disgrace. Gordon Brown has presided over a tax credits fiasco that is of his own making.

Not only have taxpayers in Harlow lost out, but the government is now trying to claw back money from people on very low incomes - even when it was government mistakes which led to the errors.

The government has overpaid some residents of Harlow £2.5 million, and underpaid others £800,000.

The government's shambolic tax credit system leads to uncertainty for many families in Harlow as they have no way of knowing what they will receive. Liberal Democrats are campaigning for a simple system of fixed term awards of six months so that families know what they are getting and get what they are entitled to."