New analysis published by the TUC reveals that at least half a million working families a year will lose more than £1,000 as a result of technical changes to tax credit allowances set out in last month's Emergency Budget.

Currently tax credit entitlements are calculated on a household's previous year's income. If a family's earnings fall during the course of a year - for example due to unemployment, illness, a family break up, retirement, bereavement or a household member losing working hours - their annual tax credit calculation is adjusted to take account of their new income.

However, changes announced in the June Budget mean that from 2012-13 households receiving tax credits who see their wages fall during the year will have the first £2,500 of income they lose disregarded when their new in-year tax credit entitlement is calculated.

The Treasury is expecting this change to save the Government around £550 million a year. The TUC believes this represents a significant cut in families' income and that many of the UK's lowest earning families will be particularly hard hit - although all families receiving tax credits who experience a fall in earnings will be affected.

The Government has been keen to point out that the Budget will mean low earners are £200 a year better off as a result of the increase in the threshold at which income tax is payable. However, this TUC analysis shows low-earning families whose incomes fall during the tax year will be much worse off - with most losing over five times more than they gain.

The Hazards Campaign has launched a national 'We didn't vote to die at work' campaign. The initiative, which was premiered at last week's National Hazards Conference in Keele, has already attracted wide support from unions and safety reps. The campaign also has its own dedicated Facebook group. This declares the campaign is 'against the Con-Dem government attacks on workplace safety and health.' It adds: 'We need to fight against: the deregulation of health and safety law; the misrepresentation of health and safety as silly, unnecessary, red tape instead of our human right; the lie that health and safety is a burden on business when in fact good health and safety pays for itself and business externalises the cost of poor health and safety on to us all, paying less than 25 per cent of the cost of the massive burden of death injury and ill-health caused by poor health and safety standards; and cuts in enforcement proposed by the new coalition government.' 'We didn't vote to die at work' posters have proved so popular, stocks were exhausted in three days and a reprint is underway. And don't be surprised if you see someone wearing the t-shirt - hundreds have sold already.

We didn't vote to die at work Facebook page

The health and safety of Britain's workforce is not being taken seriously by the coalition government, Unite has said. Joint general secretary, Tony Woodley, accused former Tory cabinet minister Lord Young, who is heading a government review, of being 'offensive'.

The comments came after Lord Young was quoted in The Times as saying 'people occasionally get killed, it's unfortunate but it's part of life' and 'do you know anything dangerous in offices?' The union leader responded that the review should 'look at the lack of effective investigation of workplace accidents, incidents and causes of ill-health and the widespread failure by employers to report injuries and diseases and dangerous occurrences. Regrettably the remarks reported in the press from Lord Young are deeply hurtful and offensive, particularly to the families of those killed at work.' Unite called for improved enforcement of safety law, adequate funding for enforcement, application of legal safety coverage to all workplaces and all workers, explicit legal safety duties on company directors and a recognition of the lifesaving role of union safety reps.

Lord Young wants us to believe health and safety is a joke, prattling on about pancake races cancelled due to rain and conkers banned in the playground. All you need to know about this bow-tie wearing caricature of a pompous old Conservative is that he actually says things like: "I got beaten at school and it didn't do me any harm."

The latest figures released show exactly why he mustn't be allowed to tear up decades of workplace health and safety improvements. Last year there were 151 workplace deaths: 151 reasons why we need laws to protect us in factories and offices.

Unite website  Daily Mirror  Families against Corporate Killers

Councils have spent at least £160 million doing the legally required preparation and paperwork for school rebuilding projects which have now been cancelled, new figures have revealed. 

A snapshot survey carried out by the Local Government Association, which represents councils in England, has found more than £161,448,000 has been spent by 67 authorities getting ready for rebuilding programmes which have now been cancelled.

The LGA is calling for preparatory work and plans drawn up under the BSF scheme to be eligible for consideration under any new programme to share out capital funding. Schools which have had programmes scrapped are also entitled to a clear explanation of why their project is no longer considered viable, and should get some guidance on when they might next attract investment.

Margaret Hodge, the Labour chair of the Commons Public Accounts Committee, has confirmed that she is prepared to launch an enquiry into whether taxpayers' money has been wasted. Meanwhile, schools are left worried about how they will cope with unsuitable buildings for several more years.

Teachers and pupils at Stanground College in Peterborough expected a £14m new building by 2013. Malcolm Ellison, its headteacher, said the current building was so small, "it actively is working against us" and that "more money was being spent on maintaining its classrooms than on the lessons that take place inside them".

The Guardian Local Government Association