It’s getting better - but it’s a fact that wages in Hastings & St Leonards are still much less than elsewhere in the South East. So I’m delighted to bring you some good news that will help thousands of local residents.
As MP I meet and talk to so many families who are doing a fantastic job supporting their family on a low income. They need all the help they can get. Measures such as the Minimum Wage and Working Families Tax Credit have made a difference, but we need to go further, and that’s what the Government is planning to do.
It’s really quite simple: if you are bringing up children or working, you are contributing to the success of our country, and you deserve to have that contribution recognised. That is why from next April, those with low incomes could benefit from the new Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credits.
The new Child Tax Credit is for all those looking after children, whether or not they are in work, and the money will be paid either in cash or through the bank account of the main carer (usually Mum) making it easier to budget for the kids’ needs. A family with one child and one person working full time on the Minimum Wage will be guaranteed a weekly income of £237.
And there’s more good news. For the first time, even those who haven’t got children will be eligible for the new Working Tax Credit. A couple with an income of £10,000 a year could now be £1,820 better off.
Higher rates of Working Tax Credit may also be available if you suffer from a disability, or if you are over 50 and have found work after a period of unemployment.
These new credits are part of the biggest revolution to the tax and benefits system since the introduction of the Welfare State. I’m really keen that local people should not miss out.
If you already receive WFTC, DPTC or Childrens Tax Credit you should already have been sent a claim pack.
If you think you may be eligible, and you have not yet heard from the Inland Revenue, then ring the helpline on 0845 300 3900 or visit the website www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk/taxcredits and find out how much you might benefit.
If you have a problem with a Goverment agency or department, or have an issue of concern, you can contact your Michael Foster MP in writing at 84 Bohemia Rd, St Leonards, TN37 6RN
Michael Foster holds a surgery (by appointment only) most Fridays at 84 Bohemia Rd. Please phone 460070 to make an appointment. There is also a telephone surgery held on Wednesday evenings (again, please phone to make an appointment first).
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This page last updated: 09/04/2003