BORIS Johnson today vowed to plough ahead with plans to whack up National Insurance on ordinary working Brits.
The PM defied calls from Tory MPs to delay or scrap the tax hike given families face a cost of living crisis.
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He has been under growing pressure to U-turn over the levy which will add hundreds of pounds a year to your bill.
Boris said it’s “absolutely vital” the 1.25% rise goes ahead as planned so the NHS can clear its Covid backlog.
The NI hike will add £130 a year to tax bill of Brits on a £20,000 salary, and £255 for those who earn £30,000.
People on £50,000 will pay £505 extra annually, those on £80,000 will have to fork out £880 and earners on £100,000 face a £1,130 bill.
Speaking during a visit to Wales today, the PM said: “It’s so important that we raise the funding to cope with the Covid backlogs.
“Every penny will go towards fixing the Covid backlogs and also social care, and the two things are connected.
“So much of the problem is caused and aggravated by the numbers of people waiting numbers in hospital that can be discharged.
“But they can’t be let out of hospital because we can’t find the right package of social care. It does need to be sorted out.”
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Pressed on whether the new tax could be delayed, he replied: “It is absolutely vital and I hope people understand.
“We’ve got to now move forward fix the Covid backlogs and sort out social care and I think that’s the right thing to do.”
A No 10 spokesman also insisted that “there are no plans to remove or delay the levy”.
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Meanwhile work and pensions secretary Therese Coffey dismissed reports of a Cabinet rift over the new tax.
Commons leader Jacob Rees-Mogg and Chancellor Rishi Sunak are among those said to be of favour of a delay.
Ex Cabinet ministers David Davis and Robert Jenrick, who both now sit on the backbenchers, have publicly urged the PM to U-turn.
And many Tory MPs are privately linking scrapping the tax to Boris winning any confidence vote sparked by the No 10 party scandal.
But Ms Coffey insisted the tax “should go ahead” and said she was “not aware of any dissenting voices in that regard”.
She insisted hiking NI is a “progressive” move because the top 14% of earners will pay over half the total cost.
But business chiefs have warned the raise will further fuel spiralling inflation which is hitting Brits in the pocket.
A survey for the Institute of Directors revealed almost one in four firms plan to pass the cost onto customers by upping prices.
And nearly a fifth of bosses say they’ll probably employ fewer people once the new levy comes into force.
Boris Johnson under more pressure to cut taxes as yet another Cabinet minister tells him to ease burden on hard up Brits
