Today, I was selected to ask the Prime Minister a question during Prime Minister’s Questions. I took the opportunity to raise an issue that many of you have spoken to me about — the "stealth tax" that is placing a real burden on household finances for my residents in Kingswinford and South Staffordshire.
I’m proud that it was a Conservative Government that introduced the Triple Lock — a guarantee that has protected pensioners’ incomes and ensured dignity in retirement. Our commitment to maintaining it remains firm.
However, from April, many pensioners with modest private pensions — in some cases as little as £2 a month — will find themselves paying income tax for the first time. I do not think that this is right. It places an unfair burden on those who have worked hard, saved responsibly, and contributed all their lives. It also adds pressure to the working families the Prime Minister promised to protect.
That’s why today I called on Kier Starmer to prove the media speculation wrong and rule out any extension of the freeze on personal allowances. People across my constituency are struggling to make ends meet — they deserve reassurance, not silence.
Sadly, the response from the Prime Minister was, quite literally, ice cold. Instead, Kier Starmer chose to blame the previous administration for his lack of action on this important matter. I have to say, I'm not surprised - Just disappointed.
Pensioners and working families deserve better. It’s time for the Government to show that it is on their side by ending the freeze in the personal tax allowance for working families and people who have paid into the system all their lives.
