Press Release
For further information or comment, please contact Richard
Burt on 07970 713032 or Cllr Tom Wells on 077520 27026
RICHARD BURT
Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate, West Worcestershire
Contact: 07970 713 032 Embargo: Immediate 27th July 2007
BACKING FOR BACK TO WORK PLANS
A PLAN to help thousands of people in Worcestershire back into work and off
benefits has been welcomed by West Worcestershire’s Liberal Democrat
Parliamentary Candidate, Richard Burt.
The plans, launched by the Liberal Democrats on Friday 27th July, include:
• Reforming the massively complicated tax credits system to make it simpler and
to end the massive overpayments;
• Increasing child benefit by around £5 a week for families in Worcestershire;
• A “pupil premium” that will boost schools in Worcestershire serving children
from deprived areas;
• Immediately restoring the earnings link to the basic state pension to ensure
the income of older people does not fall further behind that of the rest of the
population.
Richard Burt said:
“Under Labour, the difference between rich and poor is wider than it was under
Margaret Thatcher. As Chancellor, Gordon Brown has allowed the tax burden to go
up on those with the lowest incomes.
“He has given us the massively complicated tax credits system that is riddled
with errors. Here in West Worcestershire alone £1.5 million was overpaid to
residents in the last financial year which the Treasury then demanded back.
“Yet at the same time, the tax credit system is a disincentive to people on
benefits to work. Our proposals to tackle poverty will ensure there is a greater
incentive to work and save for retirement.
“By scrapping council tax and lowering the rate of income tax, we will ensure
that when people come off benefits and start work, less of their hard earned
money is taken from them by the government.
“Furthermore, the additional £5 a week for all families with children will be a
significant helping hand to many people living in Worcestershire.
“Our proposals for additional funding for children from the most deprived areas
going straight to their schools will give them a better start in life. With a
better education, they are less likely to become dependent on benefits in later
life.
“Council tax falls most heavily on those on low incomes and I am delighted to
see that the Liberal Democrats are calling for it to be scrapped and replaced by
a fairer local income tax, based on ability to pay.
“As a parliamentary candidate I meet many elderly people and I have seen how
their income and standard of living of a large number of our senior citizens has
fallen behind that of the rest of the population.
“So I fully support the proposal to link immediately the basic state pension to
the average rise in pay.
“In a wealthy country such as Britain, we should not have such a huge gap
between rich and poor as we have now under Labour.
“Our plans will go a long way to closing the poverty gap by giving people a real
incentive to work. They will end some of the penalties imposed on people who
have saved for their retirement.
“The proposals will be debated at our national conference in September and I am
looking forward to voting for them.”
ends
For further information or comment, please contact Richard Burt on 07970 713032