Wednesday 27 May 2015

Impact of Queens Speech on Poverty and Economy in general

Ed Saville has produced this helpful summary

Full Employment and Welfare Benefits Bill 

 

The aim is for two million more jobs and three million new apprenticeships to be created.  

Reduction in the welfare cap - from £26,000 to £23,000, Actual cut in income for some of the poorest households. 

Freeze working-age benefits, tax credit and child benefit for two years. Actual cut in real terms – by inflation value. 

As part of the government's welfare reforms, young people will be required to "earn or learn",  

Automatic entitlement to housing benefit for 18-21-year-olds scrapped. More people on the streets, more 'sofa surfers'; more families breaking up? What happens to those leaving care? 

National Insurance Contributions and Finance Bill 

No rise in income tax rates, VAT or national insurance before 2020 Then the next Chancellor will have a huge catch-up to do. 

No one working 30 hours on the minimum wage pays any income tax at all 

Raise the threshold before which people pay income tax to £12,500 - a move ministers say will benefit 30 million people.Those paying the highest rate of tax will benefit most; they will drop a tax band for some of their income (and may be drop out of the higher rate altogether. Those not earning enough to pay tax will not benefit at all!) 

Childcare Bill 

Parents in England would be entitled to 30 hours a week of free childcare for their three- and four-year-olds, for 38 weeks of the year. 

Housing Bill 

Housing association tenants will be able to buy the homes they rent at a discount. Housing Associations may have borrowed on the open market to build – how do they service the debt? By providing a poorer service or higher rents to those left? 

There will also be help for first-time buyers, with 200,000 starter homes made available to under-40s at a 20% discount. Where is the discount coming from – with deficit reduction not mentioned is this the answer? 

Immigration Bill 

New offence of illegal working - with police given the power to seize the wages paid to illegal workers as the "proceeds of crime". Why not seize the income of the people and companies employing them instead? 

 

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