Working families across Crawley can look forward to having more money in their pockets – thanks to a range of new Government measures coming into effect this month;

• Giving 32 million people an income tax cut, including 50,380 people in Crawley, meaning an average taxpayer will be £1,205 better off than in 2010.
• Freezing fuel duty for the ninth successive year saving the typical car driver £1,000 since 2010.
• Giving a £690 annual pay increase to over 2.4 million workers through the National Living Wage – benefiting around 188,000 people in the south east of England.
• Giving people more dignity and security in their retirement in Crawley by increasing the full State Pension by 2.6 per cent this year, meaning people will get nearly £170 more a year.

Henry said;

“These measures are good news for more than 50,000 people in Crawley who will see their taxes cut.

“Further income tax cuts for workers are welcome, as is fuel duty being frozen again, meaning a bit more money in people’s pockets at the end of the month.

“The increase to the National Living Wage means millions of the lowest paid will receive a pay rise and people can also look forward to greater security in their retirement through increases to the state pension.

“Cutting taxes and increasing pay can only take place through a balanced approach to the economy. It’s right that people are able to keep more of their hard-earned money.”

From the start of the new tax year on 6th April, the Personal Allowance and higher rate of income tax will increase. The tax-free Personal Allowance will increase to £12,500, meaning a basic rate taxpayer will pay over £1,200 less income tax than they did in 2010, giving people more money in their pockets.

The Government’s income tax cuts have taken 1.74 million of the lowest paid workers out of paying income tax altogether and taken 230,000 people out of the higher rate 40 per cent tax bracket since 2015.

As well as cutting taxes for millions of people a year earlier than planned, fuel duty has been frozen for a ninth year in a row, saving those who use a car to travel to work and visit family thousands of pounds.

From 1st April new rates of the National Living Wage rose again, from £7.83 to £8.21, a 4.9 per cent increase – handing a full-time worker a further £690 annual pay increase and taking their total pay rise, since the introduction of the National Living Wage, to over £2,750 a year.