Tax credit petition signed by 850 Hastings and Rye residents

Campaign group 38 Degrees will hand in their petition to Amber Rudd MP tomorrow (Friday, November 20).

The petition is part of a nationwide campaign to stop Government proposals to cut tax credits – a form of state benefit – with 157,694 signatures across the UK.

38 Degrees member Musetta Ripamonti will be delivering the petition to Amber Rudd and said life would be impossible without tax credits.

“It is important all MPs are held to account over these cuts,” she said.

“David Cameron promised he wouldn’t touch tax credits before the election, and now his party is going back on its word.

“People in Hastings and Rye didn’t vote for this, and yet lots of us will suffer.

“I stand to lose up to a third of my income.

“I work full-time in education and support two children on my own.

“We already struggle to live on what is effectively not a living wage.

“If I were to lose any part of my tax credit award, life for my children and myself would become untenable.

The group plan to hand in their petition to Ms Rudd’s office at Swallow House, Theaklen Drive, St. Leonards, at 5.40pm tomorrow.

The Conservative MP voted with the Tories and against the veto of the plans in the House of Commons last month.

But the House of Lords stepped in and temporarily stopped the proposals going through.

Ms Ripamonti said: “My work helps children with high academic potential from low income families, tackling social imbalance by guiding them towards higher attainment and entry into top universities.

“Tax credit cuts would plunge them into greater poverty.

“How many other hard-working families would also be adversely affected in the Hastings area, which is within the top 20 most deprived areas in the country?”

Campaigners say the cuts would make life harder for millions of low-paid working families and could push 200,000 children into poverty across the country.

The group believe residents are expecting Ms Rudd to speak to chancellor George Osborne about how devastating the cuts could be in an economically-deprived area such as Hastings and St Leonards.

38 Degrees campaigner Kahra Wayland-Larty said: “The cuts to tax credits will simply punish people in East Sussex on low wages who work hard, but still don’t have enough to make ends meet.

“The cuts will push many families to breaking point.

“But MPs have the opportunity to stop the cuts, by continuing to voice their concerns to George Osborne.

“That’s why hundreds of 38 Degrees members are meeting their MPs before the chancellor’s autumn statement on November 25, to deliver the petition straight to MPs and ask for them to oppose the cuts at any opportunity.

“Many MPs in other areas have already spoken out because they know they can’t support cuts which will hit their constituents hardest – the very people who have just voted them in.

“Amber Rudd needs to step up and represent Hastings and St Leonards constituents too.”

More than 350 people have signed a similar petition in the Bexhill and Battle constituency and will be handed to Huw Merriman MP on Monday (November 23).

To sign the petition visit: secure.38degrees.org.uk/tax-credits-petition.

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