Commenting on David Cameron’s claim on the Today Programme to want to ‘make work pay’, Labour’s Shadow Chancellor Chris Leslie MP said:

“By introducing a clawback of up to 93p for every extra £1 earned, David Cameron’s claim to want to “make work pay” is patently false. The Prime Minister shouldn’t pretend that the minimum wage change can offset the far greater cuts in working tax credit which will penalise those who want to work and earn more.

“George Osborne’s July Budget will hit those who want to get better jobs and salaries – not help them. The House of Commons Library figures expose the scale of the disincentive to work that the Chancellor has planned from April when tax credits are tapered away at a far more rapid pace, leaving some able to keep just seven pence for every additional pound the earn.

“Labour will oppose this work penalty proposed in the tax credit changes.”

ENDS