44,800 families found claiming tax credits here

CORNWALL has the highest number of families in the South West claiming child and working tax credits according to new figures.

The GMB union carried out a survey to show the number of families claiming tax credits and found that Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly topped the league with 44,800 families claiming an average £3,440.

It indicates that 19.5% of working people claim the benefit – higher than the South West figure of 16.7% and the UK figure of 16.8%.

More detailed figures show that four of the five parliamentary constituency areas in Cornwall are in the top 10 areas in the South West.

North Cornwall is second behind Plymouth Devonport with 10,300 families claiming tax credits – 20.9% of those in the area.

Highest

Falmouth and Camborne is third on 20.6%, St Ives is fifth with 20.1% while Truro and St Austell is in eighth on 18.7%.

Further down the list is South East Cornwall with 17.2% of working families claiming tax credits.

North Cornwall and St Ives also have some of the highest average claims with families claiming about £3,500 a year.

The GMB said the figures showed just how important tax credits are to working families in Cornwall.

GMB regional secretary Richard Ascough said: "In an ideal world these benefits would not be needed. But one in five working families need over £3,000 to top up meagre pay packets to properly support their children.

"Tax credit support is crucial and GMB will not stand idly by and let any party cut the incomes of nearly five million of the poorest working families in our country.

"The Conservatives and Liberal Democrats must scrap their plans to top slice tax credits and all parties must keep their promises to retain tax credits."