Tax giveaways in Osborne's budget will not help low-paid workers

George Osborne will try to single out workers as the main winners from the budget. But the reliance on low-paid jobs means many will not benefit from a rise in personal allowances

Tories and Liberal Democrats will describe today's budget as a triumph for working people. The chancellor George Osborne will say there have been many triumphs over the last five years, from boosting the living standards of pensioners to cutting corporate taxes, but he and his Lib Dem opposite number Danny Alexander will single out workers as the main winners.

The claim hangs by two threads. First is a boom in jobs that has defied most predictions. The second is the 10,000 income tax threshold, which is due to rise to 10,600 after April and may even top that should the coalition agree on an even bigger tax giveaway.

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