Single mother loses £32 a month in NI rise

My Account
Logout

Create an Evening Standard Account

Use your social network

Save time by using your existing account to sign in to Evening Standard

We'll never share your information or post anything to your account without your permission

Welcome! Sign in here

Use your social network

Save time by using your existing account to sign in to Evening Standard

We'll never share your information or post anything to your account without your permission

Forgot your password ?

Registration

* indicates fields that are mandatory

Email *

Password *

Confirm Password *

First name *

Surname *

Postcode *

Country *

Mobile phone number

Username *

Gender *

Year of birth *

When you sign up...

You will have access to all our online competitions, discounted offers and can post comments on our site.

You will also receive The Weekender newsletter sent every Thursday - it’s full of fantastic offers and ideas for the weekend. You can update your email preferences in your account page when you log in.

Other newsletters and emails

Homes & Property Newsletter - Yes I want to receive the weekly email with all the latest news on property in the capital

Occasionally we would also like to send you relevant emails detailing specific offers either from ourselves or carefully selected partners. If you would prefer not to receive these then please tick the appropriate boxes below. We will never pass on your details.

I do not want to receive additional offers and information from the Evening Standard

I do not want to receive additional offers and information sent by Evening Standard on behalf of carefully selected partners

Terms and Conditions

* I have read, understood and agree to be bound by the terms and conditions of Evening Standard

Registration

Mail Sent for Registration Confirmation.

A confirmation email has been sent. Please activate your account by clicking on the activation link sent in your mail box.

Ann Conway, a teacher from Archway, earns £43,875 a year, making her among London's biggest losers from the Pre-Budget Report which will see her NI payments rise by £32 a month in April.

Ms Conway, 47, is head of history at Islington Arts and Media School in Finsbury Park and has three children, aged 13, 15 and 23.

Even with weekly gains of £2.55 in child benefit - increased to £20 and £13.20 per child - Ms Conway will end up £324 worse off a year.

Today she attacked Labour's plans and warned that families like hers were facing a lean Christmas. She said: "I wouldn't mind higher National Insurance being spent on things like child benefit, schools or hospitals but it seems my money is being used to get the banks out of trouble.

"The effects of the Pre-Budget Report will mean spending less at Christmas and although we won't lose our home we can't afford to redecorate, go on holiday or eat out - £324 a year may not be much to some people but to me it's a lot of money to be without."

Ms Conway's outgoings are £1,500 a month, including £500 on food, £630 in mortgage repayments on her housing association property and fuel bills of £85.

With the interest rate cut last week, her mortgage repayments decreased by £30 a month.

She will gain little on the 2.5 per cent VAT cut as her main outgoings are exempt.

She said: "I completely disagree with the Government bailing out the banks and then continuing to let them go on making profits.

"It's unfair they're putting up my NI straight away but the rich people who got us in trouble in the first place are let off until after the election. I'm still struggling with money even though I'm supposedly at the top of the scale.

"The Government is letting the £150,000 fat cats who got us into this mess get away with it by taking money off people like us."

Ms Conway drives a VW Campervan and feels her family has been stung by the recent fuel increases, plus now another two pence on fuel duty.

She said: "The cost of living is really going up and teachers' wages should be going up in line with this but they're not and if oil prices have gone down I don't understand why fuel bills are still so high."