PARLIAMENT may be failing to come to a consensus on a Brexit agreement, but Middlewich’s MP Fiona Bruce has taken the opportunity this week to speak up for low-income families, who face extraordinarily steep tax rates when they seek to come off benefits and go into work.

Many families lose 73p in every £1 their salary increases, through tax and lost benefits. This week, Fiona Bruce, a group of Conservative MPs launched a report calling for Government to do more to help low-income single-earner families.

The report, Making Work Pay for Low Income Families, called for Government to review the ‘anti-aspirational’ tax system and ensure it better recognises the contribution parents make to society, including those parents who choose to stay at home with their children, or who care for elderly or dependent relatives.

Fiona said: “Whilst Parliament preoccupies itself arguing over Brexit, it is critical that MPs do not forget there are real life issue affecting our constituents today.

“One of these is the struggle people have when they come off benefits and try and get into work. Financially they are penalised. We need to address this – surely one of the “burning injustices” that the Prime Minister referred to on the steps of 10 Downing Street, when she took office - those striving to come off benefits, go into work and improve their families’ lives, particularly families with children need better support whilst they do so.”

“The tax system we have has, over many years, failed to properly recognise the contribution of parents; by doing so, it has ended up penalising couples who decide that one of them should stay at home for some period, to look after their children.

“This should be recognised by all parties, and the Government should take the practical recommendations in this report, to help ordinary families raise their children and make ends meet.”