NEIL Carmichael wrote recently that he does not want to go on living in a society where millions are trapped in poverty – neither do we.

However, it is misleading to assure us that cutting tax credits for low-paid families will achieve that.

Organisations such as the Institute of Fiscal Studies have analysed the proposals and estimated 3.3m in-work families will be on average £1,300 worse off.

The Financial Times quotes examples of a bank clerk with two children losing £2,262 per year, or a dental nurse £2,027pa.

Not all families, because of their particular circumstances, will benefit from childcare funding, tax reduction or the increase in the minimum wage, which the government uses to justify the cuts to tax credits.

So what should the government be focusing on?

Employers who won’t pay enough – or penalising low-income, hard-working families?

It is clear that the government will continue to break election promises made such as safeguarding the NHS, imposing a cap on nursing home fees and not cutting tax credits.

They will take money off people with disabilities and hard-working families, who can least afford it, hitting them again and again.

We are hearing more voices of protest, such as the desperate mother who shouted “Shame on you!” at Question Time to the government she had voted for; or the Sun newspaper which withdrew support from the Tory government it helped create, or indeed the House of Lords who came through with the calm voice of reason.

And that is the point – it is not about the House of Lords, they only showed up a government whose economics don’t add up; and supported low paid workers who will not only bear the brunt of government policies, but will be left in the poverty trap Mr Carmichael would like to see end.

Barbara Potter and Christine Stockwell

Whiteshill

Stroud