Name: Elizabeth Taylor
Occupation: NHS Occupational Therapist
Location: Stoke Newington, London
£63 worse off (based on income and NIC only)
Advertisement
Name: Tamara Burton
Occupation: formally public sector communications, seeking new job.
Location: Chelmsford, Essex.
£118 worse off
Elizabeth: “As a public sector worker I will not see a pay rise for two years but a pay freeze is better than a job loss. Before the Budget there was a growing sense of uncertainty at work. I was particularly worried about the quality of the service that the NHS and social services could provide to patients if there are significant spending cuts, so I am pleased that George Osborne has agreed to ring fence NHS spending though the future still seems uncertain.”
Tamara: “I lost my job working in communications for local government and the NHS because of public sector spending cuts. Since then job market in public sector has shrunk even more and I have come to the conclusion that I won’t get another job. At the same time the public sector was ripe for some paring down. I do, however, feel buoyed by the Budget seeming to boost opportunities for small businesses, starting my own business now is a possibility that I will look into.”
Elizabeth: “The rise in VAT is bad news, and will make the pay freeze more painful and I don’t believe it’s the only way the Government can raise money. Why not tackle tax avoidance and evasion, rather than increase a tax which hits everyone including poorer people?”
Tamara: “I agree that the VAT rise is a disappointment. However, overall I think the Coalition has made an attempt to introduce fairer taxation. The rise in personal allowance and the rise in capital gains tax at the same time balances things out a bit.”