Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make it his policy to set an income threshold of £15,000 per annum before people have to pay (a) income tax and (b) National Insurance contributions.

Budget 2018 announced that the Government will meet its commitment one year early, increasing the Personal Allowance to £12,500. This is an increase of over 90% in less than a decade, and means that in 2019-20 a typical basic rate taxpayer will pay £1,205 less in tax than in 2010-11.

It is important to remember that National Insurance contributions (NICs) provide access to social security benefits and are critical to the Government’s ability to fund the NHS and contributory benefits, including the State Pension.