Budget hits the poorest hardest — MP

AN OLDHAM MP has blasted the budget for failing the “anti-poverty test” and accused the Government of “rolling back the welfare state”.

Oldham East and Saddleworth MP Debbie Abrahams spoke last night during the fifth day of debates about the budget.

The Labour MP said: “Most alarming is that once again this Budget completely fails the anti-poverty test.

“Nearly 8,000 households in Oldham East and Saddleworth, that’s nearly 1 in 4, live in fuel poverty already. How are they to cope?

“The Institute of Fiscal Studies, the Joseph Roundtree Foundation, Child Poverty Action Group, the Resolution Foundation, the New Economics Foundation have all concluded the same. The poorer you are the worse off you are.

“The Chancellor’s own analysis shows that the cumulative impact of tax, tax credit and benefit measures mean net reductions in income for the poorest 40 per cent of households in the country.

“Although there is strong evidence that increasing the spending power in the poorest families is known to help boost economies.”