Budget 2012: A Missed Opportunity To Help Women?

The Huffington Post UK  |  By Dina Rickman  |  Posted: 21/03/2012 17:43 Updated: 21/03/2012 17:43

David Cameron And Women

As the dust settles on George Osborne's budget, with controversy over the so called "granny tax", he might be in trouble with more than just the elderly.

Despite the Chancellor's announcement that those earning less than £9,000 would be taken out of the tax system, and measures unveiled to avoid the 'cliff edge' for those higher-rate taxpayers whose child benefit would otherwise be removed, not everyone is happy.

The Fawcett society's deputy chief executive Anna Bird said this year's Budget was a "missed opportunity" for women.

"There will be women out there who are really feeling the pain of cuts and they won't be helped by what the chancellor unveiled today," she told The Huffington Post UK.

Bird said targeting child benefit for cuts is a tax on those with children, adding: "In particular it's a very tough way of taxing higher earners. If you want to focus the deficit-cutting measures at those who are earning most that's fine but to target those who have children instead is quite unfair. The government has taken steps to reduce the cliff-edge effect. Our concern really is it's still a tax on those with children."

She also pointed out that many women who work part time don't pay tax anyway - and are facing a £10bn raid on their benefits.

"We're also concerned really is the £10bn savings on the benefits bill. That's a significant amount and because women are more likely to earn less and live in poverty their income is more likely to be made up of welfare benefits.

"That's a great concern because we already known women are being hit hardest," she said.

Labour MP Ann McKechin was also concerned, telling The Huffington Post equality was "going backwards"

"George's Osborne's record since he came in has been to completely ignore the issues and challenges which women face in their home lives and also in their week.

"They've borne the bulk of the cuts despite the fact they are lower earners and they have more child care responsibilities and equality is going backwards."

Meanwhile, Mumsnet founder and CEO Justine Roberts said her website's users were concerned about fairness.

"The Chancellor’s response has been to raise the threshold at which you start to lose benefit to £50 000 but sadly, he has rather missed the point by failing to address single earners’ penalty," she wrote.

Roberts concluded there "wasn't too much to suggest it was the family friendly version that George Osborne promised us."

FOLLOW UK POLITICS

As the dust settles on George Osborne's budget, with controversy over the so called "granny tax", he might be in trouble with more than just the elderly. Despite the Chancellor's announcement that ...
As the dust settles on George Osborne's budget, with controversy over the so called "granny tax", he might be in trouble with more than just the elderly. Despite the Chancellor's announcement that ...
 
 
  • Comments
  • 14
  • Pending Comments
  • 0
  • View FAQ
Post Comment Preview Comment
To reply to a Comment: Click "Reply" at the bottom of the comment; after being approved your comment will appear directly underneath the comment you replied to.
View All
Favorites
Recency  | 
Popularity
04:09 PM on 04/07/2012
it's important to foreground this as it places another obstacle there for women desperate to leave abusive husbands, in that they are financially penalised when they become single parents. Also, child benefit is very often paid to mothers and a lot of women depend on this, because despite outward appearances of high income, sometimes this is not distributed equally between partners so loss of child benefit has most impact on women.
11:39 AM on 03/22/2012
" Fawcett society's deputy chief executive Anna Bird said " . Isnt it nice that' Inequailty" has furnished Mz Bird with a lucrative employment opportunity ? And who I wonder pays for it ?
08:06 AM on 03/22/2012
This constant moaning within society of "not fair, not fair!" annoys me. If it's so unfair take child benefit away altogether; everyone's equal then.
This comment has been removed.
07:48 AM on 03/22/2012
So women want equality when that benefits them and they want special treatment when that benefits them..if women didn't have double standards they would have no standards
05:09 PM on 03/22/2012
Unfortunately it is a characteristic of many minority groups or groups demand inf equality that they dont actaully want the responsibility part of equality - only the all the advantages.
In the case of 'feminism' it is a case of always looking for strategic advantage.
02:53 AM on 03/22/2012
What they dont say of course is that childcare lumped in with working tax credits that has been cut effects every family.
10:15 PM on 03/21/2012
Oh. is he only cutting the benefits of female children ? Honestly, the whole 'Moaning Minnie feminist hysterics has become boring !!
photo
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
sean beamer
"If society fits you comfortably enough, you call
01:57 AM on 03/22/2012
i guess you are either without child or you have probably abandoned them , so you wouldnt know how much the little that these women get means to them !!
This comment has been removed.
09:50 AM on 03/22/2012
You guess wrong. I dont go in for emotional blackmail - Sorry !
08:44 PM on 03/21/2012
£50k a year - stop moaning!
photo
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
sean beamer
"If society fits you comfortably enough, you call
01:56 AM on 03/22/2012
if thats all it is how come he didnt make the millionaires 10% pay the extra 50 bucks and keep the child benefit intact?
11:41 AM on 03/22/2012
I wonder how much Mz Bird earns as Deputy Chief Executive of Fawcett ?