Families in Bristol South face a triple hammer blow to their finances unless Chancellor changes course at the Budget
Chancellor Rishi Sunak is set to hit families in Bristol South with a triple blow of council tax hikes, frozen pay and cuts to social security at his Budget this week. With Britain in the grip of the worst economic crisis of any major economy, Karin Smyth, MP for Bristol South, is urging the Chancellor to change course to protect family finances and get Britain on the road to recovery.
The Chancellor’s plan to slash Universal Credit by £20 a week from April means 11,764 people in Bristol South will take a £1,040 a year hit to their finances. Sunak also wants families to pay for gaps in council budgets through council tax hikes rather than fulfilling his pledge to back them. This could amount to £102 extra on annual council tax bills for the average Band D home in Bristol.
The Chancellor is also hitting 7,500 public sector workers earning over £18,000 in Bristol South with a real term pay cut this year, affecting the teachers, police officers and Armed Forces personnel on the front line of the pandemic. Karin Smyth has condemned this triple hammer blow to people’s pockets as totally irresponsible when the economy is so fragile, and is calling on the government to scrap its plans.
Karin Smyth, MP for Bristol South, said:
“As our country suffers from the worst economic crisis of any major economy, it is crucial that steps are taken to back Bristol’s recovery and support those who so desperately need it. Yet the Chancellor’s plans to implement a triple hammer blow of cuts to Universal Credit, council tax hikes and pay freezes risks sabotaging Bristol’s recovery before it has even begun.
“The Chancellor’s plans are economically illiterate, and will only cause more businesses and families in Bristol South to suffer. Instead of wasting billions on private contracts, the Government should be spending more on protecting people’s livelihoods.
“We also need to see action clean energy and our environment – not new coal mines like those proposed by Ministers. And across South Bristol, there must finally be meaningful investment in skills and opportunities for those looking for work.
“This is the moment to create a secure and prosperous economy for the future. The Chancellor must reconsider his damaging plans and focus on protecting family finances and investing in our economy.”