Better Day 5,766 Posted October 26, 2015 Share Posted October 26, 2015 Labour and the Lib Dems have defended their challenge to tax credit cuts as ministers warned of taking an "unprecedented constitutional path".The House of Lords will vote on motions that could delay the controversial cuts or scupper them altogether.Ministers say peers do not have the right to block financial measures approved by the House of Commons.But Labour's shadow welfare secretary Owen Smith said such arguments were a "total sideshow".Cabinet Office minister Matthew Hancock said Chancellor George Osborne was in "listening mode" over the cuts.But the bill was "obviously a financial matter" and should not be blocked by peers, he added.What are tax credits and what are the changes?Tax credits are a series of benefits introduced by the last Labour government to help low-paid families. There are two types: Working Tax Credit (WTC) for those in work, and Child Tax Credit (CTC) for those with children.Under government proposals, the income threshold for Working Tax Credits - £6,420 - will be cut to £3,850 a year from April.In other words, as soon as someone earns £3,850, they will see their payments reduced. The income threshold for those only claiming CTCs will be cut from £16,105 to £12,125.The rate at which those payments are cut is also going to get faster. Currently, for every £1 claimants earn above the threshold, they lose 41p. This is known as the taper rate. But from April, the taper rate will accelerate to 48p.There will be similar reductions for those who claim work allowances under the new Universal Credit.Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-34631156 Together You And I! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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