Mother with two young children on sofa

What does the budget really mean for you?

Let’s look behind the headlines, avoid the spin, and separate the fact from the fiction of this week’s budget

Government must get a grip on the cost-of-living crisis and increase public sector pay

Urgent action needed to stop further slide into poverty

Higher wages for council employees would save the Treasury money, says UNISON

Local government workers are the lowest paid in the public sector. This pay rise is affordable and long overdue.

Get set for state pension changes

The state pension is changing from 6 April 2016 – members will be asking about the implications for their future