MADAM,

I am angered to see that our MP, David Davies, voted for the changes to tax credits. The changes will create chaos in the family budgets of 134,600 working families in Wales who between them have  a quarter of a million children. The average loss next April will be £1,350 per year.

2,700 families in Monmouth could be

affected.

The amount most working families who are currently on the national minimum wage will lose in April far outweighs any gains from the enhanced minimum wage of £7.20/ hour, or the small increase in tax allowance that will save £80/ year.

But the changes to tax credits hit low to middle income families too. It will also see a family with children on £20,000 lose nearly £2,000 next April. If they are on £25,000 with two children they lose £2,300.

We were told by the Prime Minister that this would be a ‘one nation’ government, with working people at its heart but after this vote it doesn’t look like that. As night follows day, families with children will end up in poverty, in debt and in some cases, in danger of losing their home. What is more these changes will damage local businesses and local economies because people will have less to spend.

So what is our MP doing to stand up for ordinary people in Monmouth who don’t earn a fortune and badly need tax credits just to make ends meet? People who earn more than £2m/year now get a tax cut each year of £250,000 because the 50p tax rate was cut to 45p, so will our MP tell the Chancellor to think again on tax credits? If not, any claim to be a one nation government will be rather wide of the mark.

Peter Short

(Monmouth)