TAX CREDIT DOUBLE WHAMMY FOR LOW PAID.

TAX CREDIT DOUBLE WHAMMY FOR LOW PAID. WEIR BID SECURES CROSS-PARTY SUPPORT SNP Business and Enterprise spokesperson, Mike Weir MP, has secured cross-party support in a bid to persuade the UK government to revise the threshold for Working Tax Credits (WTC) after warning that low income workers are missing out on the benefit because they have had their hours cut as a result of the recession. The Working Tax Credit (WTC) is intended to “help make work pay” for lower income workers. For people with children and disabled people, WTC is payable if the person works 16 hours or more a week. For others, the threshold is 30 hours a week, however, as a result of the recession many workers have had their hours cut and now face a “double whammy”. Mr Weir has today (Thursday) tabled an EDM on the issues which has already received backing from Labour, Liberal Democrat and SDLP MPs. Mr Weir, the SNP MP for Angus, said: “For low paid workers to lose hours at work and then be punished again by having their Working Tax Credit entitlement withdrawn is clearly a double whammy. “Working Tax Credits are supposed to help make work pay, but clearly the reality of the recession is having an impact on peoples employment and the UK government must look at revising the threshold. "Just like the 10p tax fiasco these ridiculous rules are hammering those on low incomes especially hard, and is further compounded by the recession. Instead of helping the less well off and the vulnerable these ridiculous tax credit rules are punishing them. “The tax credit system is patently not working, and I hope that Ministers can be persuaded to sort it out.”