Tax credit cuts are cruel and unnecessary, says TUC
“The government has finally listened to trade unions that wages should be higher. But that doesn’t justify the cruel and unnecessary cuts to tax credits, which are already designed to fall automatically when pay goes up.
20 July 2015
Commenting on the Welfare Reform and Work Bill, which receives its Second Reading in the House of Commons today (Monday), TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said:
“The government has finally listened to trade unions that wages should be higher. But that doesn’t justify the cruel and unnecessary cuts to tax credits, which are already designed to fall automatically when pay goes up. They mean that many low-income families will be left worse off because their tax credit cuts will be much greater than their gains from the minimum wage increase.
“Workers who pay national insurance out of every pay cheque have a right to feel cheated by cuts to their safety net protection in case of illness or disability. Ending the disability premium for people with reduced capacity to work will harm their health and push them further from employment.
“We welcome the apprenticeship levy and encourage the government to ensure that these new apprenticeships are high quality and that investment in them does not come at the expense of wider further education services.“
NOTES TO EDITORS:
- All TUC press releases can be found at www.tuc.org.uk
- Follow the TUC on Twitter: @tucnews
- Congress 2015 will be held in the Brighton Centre from Sunday 13 September to Wednesday 16 September. Free media passes can be obtained by visiting www.tuc.org.uk/MediaCredentials2015 and completing an online form. Applications must be in by noon on Tuesday 25 August. Any received later than that will be processed in Brighton and will cost £75.
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