Should the tax and benefits system prioritise families? poll discussion

shadej

justthisonce wrote: »

Have to say I would be happy if benefits were taken away from parents and any available financial assistance given to a wider range of recipients.
And why not give a wee bit of help to those struggling with large mortgages? Not asking for any cash payments to be given to them just some tax relief on the interest they pay. What do you suggest their alternative is rather than buying a house? Rent from a social landlord....affordable but almost impossible to get a place these days. Rent privately and perhaps have to up sticks and move because their landlord doesn't want tenants anymore. Everyone needs a roof over their head, most of us could do without mini-me's.

No as the opening question asks I certainly do not think families should be prioritised to the exclusion of other struggling groups.

Great a world where only the rich have children! Thank god your not in office!

justthisonce_2

shadej wrote: »

Great a world where only the rich have children! Thank god your not in office!

Just tell me why the taxpayers should pay for people to have children ?

Olbo73

"Of the 46% of voters with kids at home, 38% think families should be prioritised, compared to just 8% that don't".

The 38% represents 38% of everyone who responded to the poll, not 38% of the 46% of voters with kids at home. If you want to express it as a percentage of the latter group, it should be "Of the 46% of voters with kids at home, 83% (= 38 / 46) think families should be prioritised, compared to just 17% that don't".

teddyco

Throwing cash at families doesn't solve problems. In many cases it only gives parents more income to spend on whatever they please, and it's not fair for government to decide that one family is more deserving than another.

I would like to see the government give tax breaks to families rather than throw cash at them. For example, tax breaks on school uniforms and school supplies ensures that money is being spent on children and not frivolous items for Mom and Dad.

This government could use tax breaks for children who get involved in after school activities as a way of encouraging group involvement and to help keep kids off the streets and out of trouble.

Families could be provided with tax breaks on certain things if they can prove that their children are involved in extra-curricular activities after school.

But I don't believe that this government should be throwing money at people without some form of means testing or incentives attached.

mitchaa

I think there definitely should be a financial reward for being married, higher tax allowances, thresholds etc

shadej

justthisonce wrote: »

Just tell me why the taxpayers should pay for people to have children ?

Because parents that work also pay TAX!

delluver

Yes, I ideally everyone should get to choose where the tax goes, but at the end of the day, life is about having children and looking after their interests and we can't judge every family/tax payer by means without speading more money... I say it should go to families with kids at home but not to those who shove their kids into childcare then work to pay those costs just because they can't handle bringing up their kids - selfish! I agree on the reward for being married! If you can't have kids -that's life, adopt.

delluver

shadej wrote: »

Great a world where only the rich have children! Thank god your not in office!

I think old people with lots of money and big houses should be made to downsize and the money be given to those managing to get by in a small place. :money:There's one up the road just kicking about on his own when someone else could do with the space to bring a whole family up... nothing's fair at the end of the day, get ready for more of life's reaming. I'm gonna make sure we have just enough to have a good life and help my kids as much as I can when they're old enough to move out.

justthisonce_2

delluver wrote: »

Yes, I ideally everyone should get to choose where the tax goes, but at the end of the day, life is about having children and looking after their interests and we can't judge every family/tax payer by means without speading more money... I say it should go to families with kids at home but not to those who shove their kids into childcare then work to pay those costs just because they can't handle bringing up their kids - selfish! I agree on the reward for being married! If you can't have kids -that's life, adopt.

Life is NOT about having children. Where on earth do you get that idea from?
Parents do not usually put their children into childcare because they can't be bothered to look after them but because they need 2 incomes to pay the mortgage etc. Give them some tax relief on the mortgage interest payments, allow one wage earner to use both tax allowances and perhaps they won't both need to go to work.

mitchaa

justthisonce wrote: »

Life is NOT about having children. Where on earth do you get that idea from?

In the grand scheme of things i think you will find that it is.

We are here for 1 sole reason and that is reproduction. The meaning of life is to reproduce otherwise we as a species would soon become extinct.

Planet earth is billions of years old, you live for approx 75yrs of that, what relevance is your life to that of our living planet?

The little things like having fun, getting rich, having a child free life is completely irrelevant on the whole for the human species evolution, there is 1 sole purpose of you on this planet and that is reproduction.
Who cares if Joe Bloggs born year 2000 has a fun child free life and makes £10m when in the year 2100 his life is forgotten about and the family tree stops at his death. By the year 2200, long forgotten, by the time 2300 practically never existed and so on and on. Not the same if you have children however as that carries on and on.

So in the grand scheme of things life is about having offspring otherwise life would not exist and to sum up the meaning of life in only 1 word and that is reproduction, everything else is completely irrelevant