UNDER the Tory-Lib Dem coalition government, cuts to pay, benefits and public services had a terrible effect on our society.

Austerity hits women hardest, because they get lower wages to begin with, take on more caring responsibilities within the family, and are more likely to interact with public services — both for themselves and for other family members.

If I take one example, the household benefit cap introduced by the Tories limits social security not on the basis of assessing need, but by an arbitrary limit that was imposed by Tory ministers. And the impact of that is nearly nine times greater on women than men — mostly because lone parents are disproportionately women.