News from Labour Matters

Study: Tory marriage tax break could leave 120,000 children in poverty

Unite4Labour reports that an independent study has concluded that Labour has the best plan to reduce child poverty, while the Conservative’s Marriage Tax break is shown to be at least ten times worse:

A new study shows the Tory married couples’ tax break would deny 120,000 children the chance to escape poverty.

One-parent family charity Gingerbread and the respected Institute for Fiscal Studies say diverting the money the Tories plan to Child Tax Credits instead would lift 130,000 children out of poverty as opposed to the 10,000 affected by the married couples’ plan. If the money the Tories have earmarked for the unfair tax break were shifted to the Working Tax Credit, 100,000 children would benefit not just 10,000.

The study, reported in the Financial Times, concludes that Labour’s child tax credit “was the most effective way of lifting single parents’ children out of poverty.”

Read the full article.

Other news from Labour Matters

• Southampton Labour release alternative 'Budget for Fairness' - 6 February 2012
• "Bleak unemployment figures are bad news" says John Denham - 12 October 2011
• Westminster Council to cut Taxicard budget by £500,000 a year - 11 August 2011