2014 Spring Budget: Budget Briefing

Giveaways to men, paid for by women

Key findings:

• The majority of tax giveaways such as increases in the personal tax allowance, which alone cost £12bn a year, will go to men and those on higher incomes. This is equivalent to the £12bn additional cuts to social security benefits (the brunt of which are borne by women) to be made in the first two years of the next parliament.
• The cap on social security spending (£119.5bn for 2015-16) will have more impact on women who rely on benefits more than men. It will also do nothing to address the root causes of increased need.
• Sweeping reforms in pensions and savings do little to help women with low incomes and increase risks of poverty for many pensioners in the future.
• Increases in childcare support are welcome but in order to sustain quality and control prices, this help should come in the form of direct public provision of childcare (like early education provision).

Read the full briefing here.