CHLOE SMITH MP SAYS DON’T FORGET TO TELL THE COUNCIL YOU’VE HAD A PAY RISE

As of 1^st April, a new National Living Wage has been introduced for those over 25 years, set at £7.20.  The Low Pay Commission will set out how it will reach 60 per cent of median earnings by 2020 and based on forecasts this means it will reach £9 by 2020.      

 

This means that those who were working on the minimum wage will see their pay rise by a third over this Parliament which is a cash increase for fulltime workers of over £5,000.

 

As those who claim benefits such as Housing Benefit and Local Housing Allowance will likely benefit from the introduction of the National Living Wage and future increases, Chloe Smith MP has written to Broadland District Council and Norwich City Council to urge them to remind claimants to submit changes of circumstances every time their wages increase due to National Living Wage rises to avoid overpayments. 

 

 

 

Chloe Smith, Member of Parliament for Norwich North says:

 

“I'm very proud to be part of a Conservative Party that is delivering the higher-wage, lower-tax, lower-welfare economy we all want to see, boosting wages and making sure that more families have the security of a decent, regular pay packet, while ensuring that people are always better off in work, are at the heart of the Government's long-term plan.

 

“On the 1^st of this month those over 25 years old who were working on the minimum wage saw their pay increase to £7.20, something that will increase again and again until to £9 by 2020. 

 

“It is important that, if your wage has increased due to the National Living Wage, you report this to your local authority so that your claim is re-calculated and you avoid overpayments which you will be asked to pay back.

 

“I have helped constituents who didn’t realise that their claims were not automatically re-adjusted when there were rises in the national minimum wage and who were asked to pay back the overpayment and know how stressful and difficult this can be.

 

“This is why I have urged both Norwich City Council and Broadland District Council to remind claimants each time there is a rise in the National Living Wage to help avoid unnecessary overpayments.”