The Chancellor, George Osborne, has announced that the government is to withdraw child benefit from higher rate taxpayers, probably by 2013.

He told Today presenter James Naughtie that the change, which will affect everyone who pays income tax at 40% or more, was a tough measure which would hit anyone earning more than £40,000 a year.

"I understand these people are not the super rich , I'm not for a second claiming that they are but what I've got to do is take a series of measures that affect different sections of society," he explained.

"I've already taken some welfare measures that affect people on out of work benefits for example and if you want to share the burden fairly then I think you have to take this measure."

Mr Osborne will give more details of the changes in his speech to the Conservative conference today.

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