Benefits are not an easy subject to get your head around: we have a benefits system with enough acronyms, assessments, taper rates and tax credits to make your head spin. That’s why this Government is finally undertaking a hugely important and long-overdue reform of benefits. Universal Credit will replace the complicated mix of tax credits,

Research by the Surrey Welfare Rights Unit presents a grim prospect for the New Year for thousands of people in Surrey who depend on benefits or tax credits for a civilised life. Married couples without children who are in receipt of housing benefit and are between the age of 25 and 35 are to have their housing benefit reduced to the single room rate. Checks are to be made on anyone on jobseekers ...

David Cameron has been accused of being "deeply unfair" to women after it emerged that the latest spending cuts will hit them twice as hard as men.

* New House of Commons research figures show that the changes to direct tax and pay in the Autumn Statement once again hit women more than twice as hard as men. * Of the £2.37 billion raised from tax credits and public sector pay changes in this Autumn Statement, the House of Commons Library estimates that 73 per cent (£1.73 billion) will be coming from women and 27 per cent (£63...

A squeeze on tax credits for low-income families and more pay restraint for public sector workers set stage for near-permanent austerity

Families will lose around £1,200 because of cuts to child tax credits over the next five years.

Families will lose about £1,200 each because of cuts to tax credits over the next five years.

The government has made cuts in the amount of tax credits which can be claimed to pay for childcare, and polls suggest it is struggling to attract women voters.

Plans to use a squeeze on tax credits to pay for measures to combat youth unemployment have sparked anger

Liam Byrne MP, Labour’s Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, responding to reports that the Government intends to squeeze tax credits to pay for a jobs fund, said: