Iain Duncan Smith, Owen Paterson and Chris Grayling indicated yesterday that they want the long-promised measure, worth £150 a year, to be introduced in the Budget in spring 2013.
They spoke out as 15 MPs, including several ex-ministers, yesterday called in an open letter to Mr Cameron for the change to be introduced to Parliament as part of next year's finance bill.
The intervention piles pressure on Chancellor George Osborne to placate social conservatives who are already enraged that he and Mr Cameron have made public statements in support of gay marriage, rather than recognising traditional marriage in the tax system.
Mr Cameron has promised to introduce a transferable tax allowance for married couples in this Parliament and Treasury officials said yesterday that is still the Government's intention.
But Tory right-wingers are concerned that the measure, which is opposed by the Liberal Democrats, will be left until the final budget before the 2015 election.
Work and Pensions Secretary Mr Duncan Smith has privately indicated that this is unacceptable to him because it would mean taxpayers would not see the benefit before the election – due around May – allowing an incoming Labour government to easily reverse it.
- Tags: David Cameron three_Cabinet_ministers marriage tax_breaks next_year's_Budget married_couples Iain Duncan Smith Owen Paterson Chris Grayling £150 Budget spring_2013 15_MPs ex-ministers Parliament finance_bill Chancellor_George_Osborne social_conservatives gay_marriage traditional_marriage tax_system Treasury Government's_intention Tory_right-wingers Liberal_Democrats 2015 election Pensions_Secretary Mr_Duncan_Smith taxpayers benefit Labour_government
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