Reform UK has pledged to raise the tax-free personal allowance to £15,000 within its first 100 days in office, in a move Robert Jenrick said would leave millions of workers with more money in their pockets.
Mr Jenrick, who would serve as Chancellor under a Reform government, said the policy would be delivered after an emergency Budget if the party wins the next general election.
The standard personal allowance is currently £12,570, meaning workers generally pay no income tax on earnings below that level. Raising the threshold to £15,000 would allow an additional £2,430 of income to be earned before tax becomes due.
For a basic-rate taxpayer, the proposed increase could be worth up to £486 a year, although the precise benefit would depend on an individual’s circumstances and tax arrangements.
Reform has said the tax cut would be funded through a programme of spending reductions. The party has outlined plans to save more than £100 billion during its first 100 days, including cuts to welfare, other government departments and the cost of servicing debt.
Mr Jenrick has argued that the measures would form part of a wider offer to working people, with those capable of working expected to do so while employees retain more of what they earn.
The proposal marks a change from Reform’s 2024 election manifesto, which promised to lift the personal allowance to £20,000. The party has not yet set out a full costing of the new £15,000 pledge.
