Buried on page 27 of Saturdays’ Guardian (well I suppose it doesn’t affect their target demographic) was a story on a report from the Resolution Foundation stating that the Con/Dem governments plan to limit childcare vouchers from 2015 to households where both parents work and earn over the personal allowance threshold. The government say that this is to incentivise working families or rather not disincentivise secondary (main carer) earners from working.
Behind the bluster though once again we see a government policy that disproportionately benefits the well off since the amount that can be claimed goes up and their tax rate is higher anyway.
I don’t know why I’m surprised really, we have a Chancellor who refers to stay at home mums as having made a lifestyle choice after all. Under the new regulations, someone working 25 hours a week part time on minimum wage would be £300 a year worse off. It’s crazy but no more crazy than we’ve come to expect.
Yes money needs to be saved, no, once again this is not the best way to do it. Roll on 7 May 2015, when we get the chance to vote this bunch of comedians out of office once and for all.