IPSA, the body which sets MPs pay, has today confirmed its intention to give MPs a 10% pay rise, whilst the budget for claimants is set to be cut by more than 10%{jcomments on}
According to the TalkTalk website, the £7,000 pay rise for MPs looks certain to go ahead, in spite of prime minister David Cameron saying he thinks it is wrong. In fact, when asked whether Cameron would refuse to take the increase himself, a spokesperson for Downing Street merely said that the rise would go to all MPs “automatically”.
Meanwhile, in a recent report on the planned £12 billion cut in benefits spending, the IFS calculated that this amounted to 10% of the benefits budget that has not already been explicitly protected from cuts. However, since that report was published, Downing Street has confirmed that child benefit will definitely not be cut, meaning an even higher percentage of working age benefits will be axed.
Details of the cuts are due to be announced in the budget on July 8th, but there has been speculation that some details will be delayed until the autumn because of Cameron’s decision to protect child benefit.
