A major public campaign to dramatically increase the tax-free personal allowance has reached a significant milestone, putting fresh pressure on the Labour government.
Petition Surges Past 30,000 Signatures
A petition calling on the government to raise the personal tax allowance from £12,570 to £20,000 has now smashed through the barrier of 30,000 signatures. The petition, created by Shannon Kane, argues the change is vital to help households cope with soaring living costs.
The appeal states the current system sees families paying "ridiculous amounts of tax" while the minimum wage is insufficient for an average family. It highlights crippling expenses like rent, mortgages, council tax, and energy bills as key reasons for reform.
A particularly pointed argument within the petition focuses on childcare, claiming some parents find it impossible to return to work because the cost "wipes their whole income." The organisers believe a higher allowance would lead to a "massive increase on people willing to look for work."
The Road to a Parliamentary Debate
Under official rules, any petition that reaches 100,000 signatures is considered for debate in Parliament. Having now gathered over 30,000 names, the campaign is nearly a third of the way towards forcing the issue onto the political agenda.
This public push comes against the backdrop of a long-standing freeze on the allowance. In March 2021, the then-Conservative government announced the personal allowance would be fixed at £12,570 for the tax years from 2021/22 to 2025/26 inclusive. This was extended in November 2022, with the allowance set to remain at the same level up to and including the 2027/28 tax year.
How the Personal Allowance Works
The personal allowance is the amount of income an individual can earn each year before they start paying Income Tax. For the 2025 to 2026 tax year, the standard employee allowance is:
- £242 per week
- £1,048 per month
- £12,570 per year
For employees, tax is typically deducted automatically via the PAYE (Pay As You Earn) system as part of payroll. The amount deducted depends on an individual's tax code and how much of their taxable income exceeds their Personal Allowance.
The petition's rapid growth signals mounting public frustration with the current tax threshold amidst the ongoing cost-of-living crisis. All eyes will now be on whether it can maintain momentum and hit the 100,000-signature target to guarantee a hearing in the House of Commons.
