Thousands of children in Hillingdon could be directly affected by Government plans to cut tax credits, London Assembly Member Dr Onkar Sahota has said.
Around 35,600 children from 17,900 families in Hillingdon rely on tax credit income top-ups to make ends meet. Of these 17,900 families, the vast majority (69%) are working families who could now see a significant reduction in their income.
The figures come from a report by Barnardo’s on potential Government cuts to family tax credits, with their research finding more than 50% of children in Britain rely on tax credits.
The changes to child tax credits forms part of plans to cut £12bn from the welfare budget.
Dr Onkar Sahota, Labour Assembly Member for Ealing & Hillingdon, thinks Chancellor George Osbourne is intent on targeting the poorest in our community and making their life even more difficult.
He said: “These savage cuts to tax credits will be a massive worry for the thousands of families in Hillingdon who are affected.
“Yes we have to balance the books but we shouldn’t be putting people in a position where they have to choose between feeding their children and paying their electricity bill.
“The Government should be focusing on tackling the causes of poverty, such as London’s high housing costs, instead of taking away support from those already struggling to make ends meet.”
