Local worst off families in our borough have all benefited most from the Liberal Democrats in government.

The main focus of all Liberal Democrat policy in government has been singular on the task of raising families out of poverty and providing for children from working class backgrounds.

Liberal Democrats have been determined to give the poorest children the best chances in life, through the pupil premium, abolition of taxation for those on lowest incomes, new childcare help to allow parents to get to work and free school meals in all infant years, across all of our schools.

Real hard working people have been helped in huge numbers in our borough and the main beneficiaries have been the worst off families with children in nursery and primary school years.

Up until April 2014, 83,900 families in Waltham Forest are now paying £700 less in income tax as it has been abolished on the first £10,000 of earnings.

An additional tax free £2,000 is available for all individual child care placements for all lower earning parents, with pre-school two, three and four year olds, rising to full-time schooling. This amount of childcare per child has now been extended to all three year olds and 40 per cent of two year olds.

Not only will will free school meals help every child to reach their full potential, but importantly it will help each family with an equivalent minimum of £400 per year.

Since all this revolutionary Liberal Democrat family centred policy is aimed at easing the burden of those being squeezed most it now all adds up to significant money in the pocket.

It is clear as day that the Liberal Democrats care passionately about family life and their policies in government since 2010 have made a significant difference to the lives of our worst off families.

This comes as a shot in the arm, especially when the poverty gap has increased year on year between the rich and poorest since 1997.

Patrick Smith, Higham Hill Liberal Democrat Focus.