Red C Poll

Give us a break: Public pivot to rail against the ‘hated USC’

With the cost of living crisis putting a squeeze on household incomes, the latest Business Post/Red C poll now shows that two in three people want to see the Universal Social Charge abolished

Enda Kenny at the launch of the Fine Gael party’s 2016 general election manifesto: the abolition of the USC was a key part of FG’s general election campaign in that year, but the party has since dropped this policy. Picture: Rollingnews

It would not be inaccurate to say that the full acronym for the Universal Social Charge should actually be ‘HUSC’.

Since being introduced in 2011 the tax has more often than not come with the prefix “hated”, and the latest Business Post/Red C poll shows that while it may have fallen off the political agenda there is strong public support for abolishing it.

Generating €5 billion a year, it has become a core part of ...