April 3, 2009
EXTRA MONEY FOR SOUTH YORKSHIRE HOUSEHOLDS
THOUSANDS of South Yorkshire households will be better off from next week when tax, pension and benefit changes take place.
From April 6:
• a basic rate tax cut will save more than two million Yorkshire tax payers £145 a year;
• the child element of child tax credit will rise by £150 a year and working tax credits by £90; and
• nearly 100,000 pensioners in Rotherham and Barnsley will have more money in their pockets, thanks to the highest rise in state pension since 2001 and the biggest ever Pension Credit increase.
Also, mums-to-be with a due date on or after April 6 can now claim a one-off, tax-free ‘Health in Pregnancy grant’ of £190.
Child benefit has already gone up by 5% - the rise was brought forward from April to January to provide extra help to more than 60,000 families in Rotherham and Barnsley.
John Healey MP said: “This is action we are taking to help families right now. In previous recessions families and communites in our area were left to fend for themselves – I am determined that we avoid those mistakes.
“I’m proud that children and families are at the heart of Labour’s policies, but especially so during these though times. This cash boost will make a real difference in our area.”