LONDON (Reuters) – Liz Truss, one of the two remaining candidates to become Britain’s next prime minister, wants to give a tax break to people who take time out of work to care for family members or children, her campaign said on Thursday.
Her team said behind-the-scenes support by people for loved ones was estimated to be worth around 1 trillion pounds ($1.19 trillion) and helps to lessen the burden on public spending, so Truss wanted to provide help for carers through the tax system.
“We will review the taxation of families to ensure people aren’t penalised for taking time out to care for their children or elderly relatives,” she said in a statement.
A government led by Truss would consider treating households as single tax entities and allowing personal tax allowances to be transferred within households, her campaign team said.
Truss, who is currently Britain’s foreign minister, has made other promises of tax cuts that will cost an estimated 30 billion pounds a year.
Her rival for the top job, former finance minister Rishi Sunak, says he also plans to cut taxes but only once inflation running at almost 10% is brought under control, and he has accused his rivals of making “fairy tale” tax cut promises.
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(Writing by William Schomberg, Editing by Kylie MacLellan)
