Tax changes could cost city families £3million

FAMILIES in the city could lose a combined £3million a year after changes to tax credits and benefits.

The figures, from the Institute for Fiscal Studies, come after analysis of last month's budget.

The changes, introduced on Good Friday, include the income limit for child tax credit going down and new working hours rules for working couples.

City councillor Ed Ruane claimed the changes would see 4,300 Coventry families on modest and middle incomes losing their child tax credit and up to 1,500 working couples also losing out, costing them around £500 each a year.

The Labour councillor said a couple on the minimum wage with two children would be better off quitting their jobs if they could not work at least 19 hours per week.

"Families on middle and low incomes here in Coventry are facing a tax credits bombshell from David Cameron and George Osborne," he told us.

"For all the government’s talk about increasing the personal allowance, these independent figures show while they may be giving one with one hand they are taking much more away with the other hand.

"It cannot be the right priority to make thousands of families and pensioners pay more so millionaires can pay less, over £40,000 less in the case of the 14,000 richest people in the country.

"And it cannot be right to leave working parents trying to do the right thing better off if they quit their jobs."

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