WARRINGTON North MP Helen Jones has warned hundreds of families in the town to be prepared for a “huge hit” to their family budgets from today as changes to Working Tax Credit come into effect.
She claims about 460 families across Warrington will see their Working Tax Credit slashed by £74 per week – a cut of 
£3,870 a year to family budgets, thanks to new rules introduced by the government.
Ms Jones (pictured) said: “If a family cannot increase the number of hours they work to 24 hours per week they will lose almost £4,000 a year from their family budgets as their Working Tax Credit is slashed.
“The Tory-led Government has forced through this change despite unemployment continuing to rise and extra hours at work being very hard to come by.
“The Government’s changes mean that families that are going to work and playing by the rules will be punished because the economy isn’t working due to the failed policies of this Government.
“A family currently in work will actually be better off not working and claiming benefits as a result of these changes. That can’t be right. The change will mean that around 35,000 families across the country will fall below the poverty line if they are unable to find extra work.
“I have called for the Government to drop this change but instead of helping hard-pressed families, in the budget they gave a tax-giveaway to the richest in society that will see millionaires save £40,000 a year. It’s clear to see where this Government’s priorities lie.”
The Government says other measures it has taken will mean that nationally nearly three million households will have a higher level of entitlement and enable more parents to get into work.
Families will lose out, warns MP
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Gary Skentelbery
Experienced journalist for more than 40 years. Managing Director of magazine publishing group with three in-house titles and on-line daily newspaper for Warrington. Experienced writer, photographer, PR consultant and media expert having written for local, regional and national newspapers. Specialties: PR, media, social networking, photographer, networking, advertising, sales, media crisis management. Chair of Warrington Healthwatch Director Warrington Chamber of Commerce Patron Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Foundation for Peace. Trustee Warrington Disability Partnership. Former Chairman of Warrington Town FC.
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What a shame. Perhaps these people losing out will have to do what the pensioners have to do, and do away with the luxuries.
I suppose that the woman is thinking through her Labour mind, in that even if the country can’t afford to pay, they should do so anyway.
I think the sad thing is that since the end of WWII the UK has become increasingly more wedded to a state benefits culture. Many benefits when they were first introduced, were introduced for the right reasons and genuinely helped those in real need. Unfortunately, and as is often the case, the scope and size of the benefits escalated and became seen as a permanent right rather than, with the exception of a basic state pension, an emergency short term payment. It is interesting that with the changes that come in to force today that people are saying that they would be better off on benefits, but of course the solution to that situation is to remove or greatly reduce the benefits so that that situation does not arise. It can never be right, can it, that a person claiming benefits is better off than an equivalent person in employment. Clearly this particular MP has to toe a party line, and her comments will be seen in that context, and in light of forthcoming elections in which I understand her son is a candidate.
Maybe if the woman gave back some of the QUARTER OF A MILLION POUNDS she gets in salary and expenses along with the 650 odd other MP’s the cuts may not have had to be made