Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has today announced the Spring Budget.
Here are the biggest talking points relevant to Oldham.
Levelling up and potholes
Around £400 million will be made available for new Levelling Up Partnerships – and Oldham will be one of the places to benefit.
While Hunt did not go into specifics about Oldham, the town joins other North West areas such as Rochdale and Blackburn to benefit, and Hunt promised to “level up wealth and opportunity everywhere”.
A further £200 million is being allocated to the annual Potholes Fund to help tackle the “curse of potholes”, taking the amount of money in the fund to £700 million.
Yesterday, readers of the Oldham Times shared their frustrations with potholes on Facebook, saying the town’s roads are “full of potholes”.
Childcare
Hunt has offered 30 hours of free childcare per week to parents of children over nine months during term time – as long as both parents are working.
Previously, the 30 free hours have only applied to parents of three and four-year-olds.
The average cost of sending a child under two to nursery for 25 hours per week is £7,729 each year, according to children’s charity Coram.
Nurseries will see extra funding, rising to £288 million next year.
Fresh monetary incentives will also be offered to new childminders to try and get more people into the profession.
In October, protestors in Manchester joined those around the country in the March of the Mummies, a movement demanding childcare reform.
Energy Price Guarantee
The Energy Price Guarantee, which caps energy bills for a typical household at £2,500 per year, will be extended until the end of June.
These costs were due to rise to £3,000 from April, but that is now not the case in what will be a relief for families in Oldham struggling to heat their homes.
According to Hunt, this will save the average household £160 over the next three months.
Hunt said: “That doesn’t just help families, it helps the economy too.”
Over-50s
Hunt insisted that getting more over-50s into work is a priority as “older people are the most skilled and experienced people we have.”
A new type of apprenticeship, called “returnerships”, will be launched, and more financial and careers advice will be available.
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He also announced that the pensions annual tax-free allowance will increase to £60,000 from £40,000 and the government will abolish the Lifetime Allowance in an aim to discourage early retirement.
The Chancellor said: “No country can thrive if it turns its back on such a wealth of talent and ability, but for too many, turning 50 is a moment of anxiety about the cliff edge of retirement rather than a moment of anticipation about another two decades of fulfilment.”
Last year, Oldham East and Saddleworth MP Debbie Abrahams said the government is “writing off” a generation of people, with 850 over-50s in the constituency revealed to be claiming unemployment social security.
Leisure centres and swimming pools
A £63 million fund is being provided to help “keep our public leisure centres and pools afloat.”
Oldham Community Leisure Centre has been an important player in helping people during the cost of living crisis, offering free hot showers to people struggling to heat water at home.
More than 40 people have made use of the free shower facilities so far.
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