One in ten manual workers fears a rise in fuel duty will force them out of a job

Of 16,647 AA members polled, 4 per cent said they would change their job to reduce mileage if the 3.02p duty increase is not scrapped, while 3 per cent would have to abandon their job because of unaffordable travel costs.

Skilled service and manual workers are most at risk, with 9 per cent fearing for their employment should the duty rise take place.

The planned increase would push petrol prices up to around 145p a litre, with diesel rising to 150p.

Those polled were asked what would be the effect of such prices, with 63 per cent saying they would cut back on car use, 18 per cent would cut back on grocery shopping and 23 per cent would abandon or delay the purchase of furniture, home improvements or luxury items.

AA president Edmund King said: “Pump prices that many people can’t afford means lost high street spending, higher transport costs, rising inflation, lost tax from lower fuel sales, lost tax from businesses going bust, lost tax from workers losing their jobs and a bigger unemployment benefit bill.

“A hike in fuel costs at the start of the holiday season will backfire as many people are already cutting back.”

Quentin Willson, national spokesman for FairFuelUK, said: “Budget day should be ‘Cut Fuel Duty Day’. All the polling shows that the soaring cost of filling the family car, the business van or the company truck is right at the top of people’s priority list.

“We have given the government evidence based on their own model that even a modest cut in fuel duty of 2.5p per litre would create 175,000 jobs and boost growth. This boost to growth means that the Treasury will not lose any revenue overall.

“The country is looking for bold and decisive action – scrap the 3p rise planned for August and cut fuel duty now.”

But sustainable transport charity Sustrans warned that cutting fuel duty by 2.5p a litre would cost the UK economy £2.75 billion in tax revenue which would have to be found elsewhere. The charity called on the Chancellor to go ahead with the planned 3p per litre fuel duty increase and to use the money raised to help those who would prefer to use public transport.

Sustrans policy adviser Eleanor Besley said: “Families are being forced into owning a car they can’t afford, because travelling by train and bus can be expensive, unreliable and in many cases not even possible.

“The Chancellor must steer through a transport system that keeps the whole country moving – not just those with access to a car.”