Joan Burton bids to use USC to boost pensions

Some of the money raised from the Universal Social Charge should be used to boost people’s pension pay- outs, Tánaiste Joan Burton has said, in an attempt to try and make the tax less toxic to voters.

The Labour leader insisted it was not possible to abolish the USC, despite demands from within her own party to do so.

Coalition tensions have been rife over the USC, with Labour wanting to use proceeds from the economic recovery to lower the levy, while Fine Gael intends to prioritise cuts in the top rate of income tax.