TAX cuts proposed in the Tory general election manifesto will benefit the rich 10 times more than the lowest-paid, a TUC investigation revealed yesterday.

And at the same time a vicious new round of Tory welfare cuts would hit those most in need by slashing in-work benefits such as tax credits and services which low-paid families rely on.

Researchers found that people on the lowest incomes would gain nothing from the proposed tax cuts. The second poorest would be just £2 a year better off.

By contrast, higher earners would find £875 a year more in their wage packets — and people earning £50,000 to £100,000 a year would be £2,000 a year better off.

TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady said: “We should be targeting help where it’s most needed.

But David Cameron’s tax plans will give 10 times as much to the rich as to families on regular earnings.

“Families have just suffered the longest decline in living standards since Victoria was on the throne.

“But before wages have even recovered, the Conservatives are prioritising special treatment for the wealthiest.

“A better plan to help low-paid workers and their families would be to target support through universal credit.

“This would make low and middle-earner families hundreds of pounds better off.”

Labour shadow chancellor Ed Balls meanwhile accused the Tories of making £25 billion of unfunded promises to woo and con the electorate — and warned that working people would end up funding them.

Mr Balls made his accusation of unfunded Tory promises in a campaign speech in Birmingham, as Labour released a document entitled “Where is the money coming from?”

He contrasted the Tories’ “panicky” promises with Labour’s fully funded programme which he said would include 25 hours of free childcare a week paid for by a bank levy, tax cuts funded by scrapping the marriage tax allowance and business rates cuts funded by maintaining corporation tax on big corporations at current levels.

Paid work for long-term unemployed youth meanwhile would be paid for by a tax on bankers’ bonuses and cuts in student tuition fees could be funded by a clampdown on tax dodgers.