free xtra benefits???

DdraigGoch

I could give current examples, but I feel this may not be useful. It may help.Because i think the goverment should step in if schools are being allowed to charge some of these prices.And request that children should have this and that.

It should be across the board .

Having been requested to list costs of current requirements, I've gone online and asked in local shops and will start another thread with these costs so that we can all find out what it costs and maybe it can help someone somewhere along the line.

Forewarned is forearmed

DG

Jo_R_2

mitchaa wrote: »

Well that is debatable;)

Child related income should be spent on exactly that, i don't know what is ill informed about that:rolleyes:

It's when people spend this income elsewhere that people jump on the child poverty bandwagon.

I'll leave it at that as there's no point in arguing about it, we all have our opinions so we will agree to disagree okay

Over and out.

I got to ask mitchaa, I have noticed in a few of your posts, the enigmatic 'wink' icon alluding to the fact you may have knowledge of the benefits system, but not through claiming.

I know a few of the people who offer advice either work or have experience in working with benefits, is this the case with you?

Just curious - it's always useful to know who has direct knowledge of working 'with' benefits so to speak.

LadyMorticia

You make a very valid point Jo. I never really noticed before. I'm intrigued now.:)

xx

krisskross

cheap_charlie wrote: »

I will end my input on this thread by saying that child related income sometimes cannot cover every child related expense - to suggest its being spent on Sky TV or something else IS ignorant.

Are you saying that the £1500 a year that every parents gets for a 1st child unless they earn over £55K is not enough to cover the EXTRA expense incurred with 1 child. You can't count rent, council tax etc as these have to be paid anyway. I honestly do not believe that it costs more than £1500 a year to feed and clothe a child, plus of course the allowances are not supposed to fund everything, there are some things parents should be putting their hands in their pockets for.

mitchaa

Jo..Im in an engineering profession, no benefits experience apart from claiming the £18.80pw child benefit for my son.

My knowledge of the benefits system is solely through the information i have found and learned from this forum.

If you have noticed i will not argue with someone such as subsoniccoyote or JessicaF or anyone that works with TC's or benefits. I learn from them The is just used as 'cheeky' friendliness.

Krisskross, if you see post#63 on page 4, there are child benefit figures in there. It is more than enough to feed, clothe and school a child, or in this example 2 children. in fact quoted below...

CB for the 1st child is £18.80pw (£978 per year)
For the 2nd child and every additional child afterwards £12.55 (£653per year)

Every parent in the country with 2 children regardless of income would receive this amount. (£1630 per year)

Now regarding income and tax credit awards,

Family element is £545 per year (Incomes of around £25-55k)
Child element is £2085per year per child (Incomes less than £17k)

So a parent on ''real'' benefits would receive the £1630 above + £2085x2 + £545 family CTC elements so a total of £6345 per year.

That is a minimum figure not taking into account food/milk tokens/free school dinners, prescriptions, maternity grants etc etc.

£6345 or £122pw is more than enough to feed, clothe and keep 2 children. I dont care what anyone says but that is more than enough.

When that £6345 starts dwindling away into the cigarette and alcohol fund, thats when it is no longer adequate:rolleyes:

cheap_charlie

krisskross wrote: »

Are you saying that the £1500 a year that every parents gets for a 1st child unless they earn over £55K is not enough to cover the EXTRA expense incurred with 1 child. You can't count rent, council tax etc as these have to be paid anyway. I honestly do not believe that it costs more than £1500 a year to feed and clothe a child, plus of course the allowances are not supposed to fund everything, there are some things parents should be putting their hands in their pockets for.

No I am not saying that. What I am saying is that on a forum designed to offer help and advice it is ignorant to ASSume that all claimants are spending the money on luxuries as opposed to necessities.

Yes some people will do that, but to assume £1500 is enough to cover everything and some very expensive school uniform, which SOME people need to buy is yet another generalisation which in my opinion at least, shows ignorance.

mitchaa

cheap_charlie wrote: »

No I am not saying that. What I am saying is that on a forum designed to offer help and advice it is ignorant to ASSume that all claimants are spending the money on luxuries as opposed to necessities.

Yes some people will do that, but to assume £1500 is enough to cover everything and some very expensive school uniform, which SOME people need to buy is yet another generalisation which in my opinion at least, shows ignorance.

I thought we both bowed out;)

The £6345 minimum figure is a true reflection in CTC and CB award. That is more than enough.

My ''slur'' if you can call it that is definitely true. There are many parents out there able to afford their 40 a day addiction to cigarettes but cannot afford to feed and clothe their own children and provide a basic standard of living for them. This is neglect. If you require evidence, i suggest you walk the streets tonight around 5pm-11pm and witness how many of these neglected children there are. Children that have no soles left on their trainers and children who have torn and dirty clothes.

There is no need for any child in the UK to be like this, but i can assure you there certainly is.

I am not for 1 minute suggesting everyone abuses their childs benefits, but some are.

krisskross

cheap_charlie wrote: »

No I am not saying that. What I am saying is that on a forum designed to offer help and advice it is ignorant to ASSume that all claimants are spending the money on luxuries as opposed to necessities.

Yes some people will do that, but to assume £1500 is enough to cover everything and some very expensive school uniform, which SOME people need to buy is yet another generalisation which in my opinion at least, shows ignorance.

I have 4 children , all of whom have gone to senior school, the one the girls went to the kilt alone cost £60 so I am in a position to know how much it costs to raise children. To reiterate, the child related benefits are meant to HELP with the costs of raising children, when they are as generous as they are I feel it is wrong to be suggesting there should be more given. We had 4 children, WE as their parents fed clothed them with very little in the way of benefits. OUR children, they were our choice to have, our responsibility. Wonder how many parents would be happy if all child related benefits were stopped and bills for clothing, the odd school trip were paid instead.

kianicky

i know the school i went to doesn't have a strict dress code, this is in scotland. so it seems this is something that happens in schools in england. i think it's a bit unfair to make folk buy things they can't afford. it should be optional. please don't think i'm wanting to offend folk, just wanted to have my opinion.

something_girl

yeh it does sound like a scottish/english divide, I grew up in Scotland and we didn't have a high school uniform at all, I used to wear my skin tight jeans and biker jacket, well actually I started the day in a skirt, as was the law laid down by my mother, but I changed into my jeans in the toilets at the bottom of the road ;o)

my kids here in England though, have strict uniform, blazers the lot!