David Cameron’s desperate bid to woo voters with a massive spending spree will be paid for with yet another assault on the poor, Ed Balls will warn.
The PM has vowed to splash £25billion on the NHS, childcare aid and tax cuts - but has yet to reveal where the cash will come from.
And he will plunder £1,493 from each household to pay for the unfunded pledges by further slashing benefits while dishing out tax breaks to the rich, Mr Balls will say.
Only £700million of the planned spending has so far been accounted for and critics warn Mr Cameron’s promises are merely bribes aimed at boosting the stuttering Tory election campaign.
In a West Midlands speech, Shadow Chancellor Mr Balls will call on the PM and Chancellor George Osborne to “come clean” about funding the spree.
His is to say: “The Tories think they can get away with ducking these questions.
“They are taking the British people for fools and they shouldn’t be allowed to get away with it.
"Everyone knows it will be working families who end up paying the price again if the Tories win.
“They have now racked up £25billion a year of promises which they refuse to explain how they will pay for… £25billion is the equivalent of £1,439 a year for every working household in Britain.
"That’s the price families will pay under the Tories for panicky promises.”
There are fears the Tories could target child benefit by restricting it to people on universal credit.
That would mean 4.3million families losing £1,000 a year, experts have warned.
And a leaked document suggested the Conservatives were looking to save £1billion by restricting the Carer’s Allowance.
A plan to tax Disability Living Allowance, Personal Independence Payments and Attendance Allowance would save an estimated £1.5billion a year.
And further £1billion would be saved by axing the Industrial Injuries Compensation Scheme and replacing it with a ninsurance scheme.
Ministers could also save £1.3billion by ending the contributory element of Employment and Support Allowance and Job Seekers Allowance.
The TUC said the big winners from the proposed Tory tax cuts would be higher earners – meaning the burden will fall on the less well off.
General Secretary Frances O’Grady said: “We should be targeting help where it’s most needed. But Cameron’s plans will give 10 times as much to the rich as to families on regular earnings.
“The pledge to help minimum wage workers is a con.
"Most of them don’t earn enough to pay income tax, but Tory plans for extreme cuts will hit their tax credits, children’s benefits and local services.”