Toggle high contrast
Issue date
The publication today (Tuesday) of analysis by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) of tax and benefit proposals by the main parties shows how severe and painful the impacts will be of extreme Conservative cuts for low-paid families with children, says the TUC.

TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said: “The IFS report shows that the Conservatives will cut taxes for the better off, and fund it with cuts to benefits and tax credits for the very hard-working families they claim to champion."

28 April 2015

The publication today (Tuesday) of analysis by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) of tax and benefit proposals by the main parties shows how severe and painful the impacts will be of extreme Conservative cuts for low-paid families with children, says the TUC.

The IFS warns that Conservative proposals “would almost certainly require significant cuts to some of the main benefits – child benefit, housing benefit, tax credits and disability benefits.”

The IFS also says that the pace of cuts would be faster than in the last government, the cuts would hit the poorest households hardest, and it would require cash reductions rather than just freezing benefit rates.

By contrast, the IFS says it is those on higher incomes who would do best from Conservative proposals, with the biggest winners including people with incomes of £150,000.

TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said: “The IFS report shows that the Conservatives will cut taxes for the better off, and fund it with cuts to benefits and tax credits for the very hard-working families they claim to champion.

“With one in five earning less than the living wage, millions of working people depend on a proper welfare safety net to make ends meet.

“This is not dealing with abuse, it’s ripping the heart out of a welfare safety net that any of us might need.”

NOTES TO EDITORS:

- The IFS report can be found at http://www.ifs.org.uk/uploads/publications/bns/BN172.pdf

- TUC research showing how low-paid working families have been hardest hit by the coalition’s welfare cuts can be found at https://www.tuc.org.uk/economic-issues/social-issues/child-poverty/welfare-and-benefits/welfare-reforms-spectacularly-fail

- All TUC press releases can be found at www.tuc.org.uk

- Follow the TUC on Twitter: @tucnews

Enable Two-Factor Authentication

To access the admin area, you will need to setup two-factor authentication (TFA).

Setup now