Government doesn't want the mother to stay at home.

Written this letter to my MP. What do you all think???



Dear Sir / Madam,
I read with interest the latest government plans to extend the number of weeks maternity leave for working mothers. While I applaud the governments attempt to benefit those with children, there are a number of issues which never seem to be addressed.

There's a discrepancy in the way tax credits are worked out in one income families – as it is worked out on pre tax earnings. A two income couple will bring home over a £1,600 a year more in take-home cash than a one income family yet they are assessed on the same joint income. For example

1 Income family:

Gross Salary: £20,000
Tax: £3,113
National Insurance: £1,493
Net: £15,394



2 Income family:

Parent 1 Parent 2
Gross Salary: £10,000 £10,000
Tax: £913 £913
National Insurance: £553 £553
Net: £8,532 £8,532 Total take home combined pay: £17.064

That’s a difference of £1,670! That’s £32 per week! and yet they will receive the same tax credits. I’m sure you’ll agree that £32 per week is a big difference to a struggling family with young children. Currently, tax credits applicants have to report an increase of £2,000 to reassess the tax credit award. The difference in the take home pay, grossed up for tax and NI purposes is £2,420 in the example above – and yet the government ignores it!

This has annoyed me for years. My wife stays at home to look after the family but I don't see any of her tax allowance. It seems the government are doing everything to help families with two parents that work - extended maternity leave, child care tax credits etc...., but those with one income don't get a look in.

Is the government forcing the mother out to work, or will it take steps to allow single income families the tax breaks that the whole family deserves.

Also, Families with a stay at home mother do not receive the single persons council tax rebate either. Surely this is a tax based on the households ability to pay. A single persons allowance is given because they have one income, yet when the mother doesn’t go out to work and the family still has one income, the full council tax is required – which is completely unjust and unfair.

If a family on a single income lived in the average Band D property and received the single persons allowance together with initial allowances for Income Tax and National Insurance for both parents, they would be better off by over £37 per week!

I’m sure there are millions of families in this country in a similar situation and are being taxed unfairly. Why can’t the government please take into account the income of the family rather than just the number of people who work in that family – surely this is the fairest way. I know that if I was self employed my accountant would use both allowances, but as I work full time (for the government I might add) and pay my tax thought the PAYE system I pay more tax.

It seems the government penalises those families who are interested in looking after their children more than just financially. Surely the best person to look after a child is its mother (or father) yet the government promotes the idea that both parents should leave the home to work.

I just wish I could spend the money I earn rather than the tax I spend being recycled back to me through child benefit and tax credits. I work in government and know how much these systems costs to administrate. I hope the government will look into this and stop penalising those families that really care for their children.