A budget for Norwich families

I welcome the Government’s Autumn Budget and Spending Review, as it will help working families in Norwich meet the cost of living, deliver world-class public services, by driving economic growth across the country. 

This is a government committed to investment in public services, focused on growth and resolute about building resilience for a prosperous future. 

Despite the unprecedented challenges caused by the pandemic, this Government is getting on with the job and delivering on people’s priorities. 

This Budget will make a real difference to people in Norwich, helping working families with the cost of living, supporting businesses with their recovery, and investing in our public services so that everyone gets the world-class hospitals, schools, and police services they deserve. 

I was elected on a promise to level up and improve opportunity for people in Norwich and today’s Budget shows how this Government is delivering on that promise as we build back better. 

I particularly want to highlight the massive improvement to Universal Credit. The budget makes sure work pays by cutting the taper rate in UC by 8 pence, taking it down from the current 63p to 55p as well as increasing the Work Allowance by £500. In other words, if you work, you can keep more of what you earn. Taken together, this puts an extra £1,000 in the pocket of the lowest income families in Norwich. 

This means that, a single mother of two working full-time on the National Living Wage will be better off by around £1,200 a year while a working couple with two children, both paid the National Living Wage, one working full-time and one part-time, will be better off by £1,800 every year. 

The National Living Wage is rising itself too. All in all, this shows that work pays. That’s what Conservatives, and thousands of working people in Norwich, believe in.

Turning to how the Budget improves our public services, the evidence shows that the first 1,001 days of a child’s life are the most influential on their health, wellbeing, and opportunities throughout the rest of their lives. That is why I welcome the £300 million announced for a new Start for Life offer, programmes for new parents, a new network of Family Hubs, an extra £170 million for childcare providers, £150 million to support training and development for the early years' workforce, and an extra £200 million for the Supporting Families programme.

I also welcome the announcement for further funding for schools. This is an another £4.7 billion per year by 2024 or a cash uplift of over £1,500 per pupil on top of the £14 billion announced in 2019. The Government is also tripling the annual spending on Special Educational Needs places and providing another £1.8 billion to take the total for schools catch-up funding to almost £5 billion. 

As MP for Norwich North, ensuring that our children get the best possible start in life is one of my priorities. To find out what I am doing to ensure this, please visit: https://www.chloesmith.org.uk/myplan/children.

You can also see  my priorities for more good jobs in Norwich, and better transport, more homes and much more, all backed by this Budget.

I hope you find this information helpful.  The Government’ is committed to familes, and so am I for us in Norwich.  If I can help constituents with any matter, please do email me on chloe@chloesmith.org.uk or ring my constituency office on 01603 414756.