Turn2us' top news stories

Tory conference: Tax credit cuts to go ahead, says David Cameron (BBC)    

David Cameron has rejected calls to rethink cuts to tax credits, as the Conservatives gather in Manchester for their annual conference. The PM told the BBC's Andrew Marr the cuts were part of a "bigger picture" of increased wages and lower income tax.

But a think tank headed by former Tory minister David Willetts warned low paid families will be out of pocket until the other changes kick in.

Welfare reform: Westminster may legislate directly as last resort (BBC)

The Westminster government is prepared to legislate on welfare reform in Northern Ireland if Stormont's parties cannot agree their own package of changes, Theresa Villiers has said.

The Northern Ireland secretary said such a move would be the "last resort". The NI parties had agreed on a welfare reform deal in December but Sinn Féin withdrew its support in March.

Ruth Davidson woos Labour voters with carers' pledge (The Telegraph)

Ruth Davidson has launched a charm offensive aimed at convincing disillusioned Scottish Labour voters the Tories have changed by promising to use Holyrood’s new powers to increase benefits for carers.

The Scottish Conservative leader said her party would increase Carer’s Allowance by £600 per year to the same level as Jobseeker’s Allowance in a move that she said demonstrated her desire to create “pragmatic, practical policies that work for all Scots.”

Tax credit cuts set to strip working families of £1,350 a year - now the fightback begins (The Mirror)

More than three million low-paid Brits will have some dreary Christmas post this year - when they get the letter from George Osborne telling them he’ll be cutting their wages by £1,350 a year.

But high profile MPs from both the Conservative and Labour parties are putting up a fight against the cuts to tax credits, which they believe will punish the working poor.

Iain Duncan Smith: “Tories will crack £30m-a-year Euro benefit tourism scam” (The Express) 

Speaking ahead of his speech to the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester this week, the Work and Pensions Secretary told the Sunday Express: “We are cracking that nut marked benefit tourism and we will have that under control by next year. 

“There will be no more something-for-nothing benefit tourism. If you didn’t put in, you don’t take out. It’s as simple as that.”