Business minister: Income tax rise and 3p on fuel needed to pay for Universal Credit
A minister has said income tax would need to rise to keep the £20 weekly Universal Credit uplift.
Business minister Paul Scully told Sky News this morning: “The Chancellor… will look at the whole aspect of public finances in the Budget and the Spending Review that is coming up.”
He went on to say: “But if you were to reverse the Universal Credit as it is, you would have to put up income tax by the equivalent of a penny and 3p on fuel.
“You have to find £6bn from somewhere.”
Put to him that “most people would accept putting a penny on income tax” to pay to keep the uplift, he added: “What I’m saying is you have to find £6 billion from somewhere and what you don’t want to be doing, for the lowest paid in particular, is giving with one hand and taking and increasing taxes with the other.”