We need fairer finance for families, says Miriam Cates MP
Miriam opened with an account of recent social history:
…not so long ago, when the welfare state was born, life expectancy was 65, people started work at 15, and few lived long into retirement, while the state was not required to pay for childcare or adult social care because women and the wider community provided it unpaid. Now, longer life expectancy, many years spent in education and retirement, and ever better healthcare have increased, probably permanently, the cost of the state.
She went on to make the case for reforming our model of taxation away from an individualistic approach and towards one that considers household income and the number of dependants in any given household.
This individualistic approach to taxation means that to have the same standard of living as a single person on a wage of £30,000, a family of four must earn £74,500—an unachievable figure for many.
…Our system makes it very hard for families to work their way out of poverty, discourages family stability, and fails to recognise the important contribution that parents make to society.
When it comes to the cost of living crisis, the Chancellor is right that the state cannot fix everything. But the state can fortify national resilience by strengthening shock absorbing and enduring relationships in the family and community.