Married couples 'punished by tax system'

Lotus-eater

SingleSue wrote: »

What free nursery? I do know that every child (regardless of family income) is able to have free nursery from the age of 3 but these were never anywhere near £40 per day anyway.

I was thinking that, you do get some nursery costs paid if you both (or one if a singly) work over a certain amount of hours a week and earn less than a certain amount. The amount you get is on a sliding scale.

treliac

longtimelurker wrote: »

Does this really just apply to married couples - or does it mean married or living together as if you are married (as they like to term it)?

The concept is only that. Living together confers no automatic legal rights.

DW123_2

Sorry, what you appear to be saying in essence is that they earn less than you, so they get tax credits and that's not fair?

If you recall, one of the reasons the married credit and joint tax thing was done away with was because it predicates one person having all financial knowledge about the other in a relationship.

No what I am saying is this...

If a sole income is taxed at 40% (then for sake of avoiding argument ) £100k less 40% leaves £60k.

Two joint incomes of £50k taxed at 20% each (or whatever it is) leaves £80k, if my arithmatic is correct. £50k x 20% = £10k. Multiply by 2 = £20k. £100k -20k leaves £80k.

Is that fair when the sole income is used to support a disabled partner & 5yr old. It's not about lifestyle it's about fairness.

I know the percentages used are incorrect but I am using them for illustration.

brummybloke

SingleSue wrote: »

What free nursery? I do know that every child (regardless of family income) is able to have free nursery from the age of 3 but these were never anywhere near £40 per day anyway.

She may be entitled to social housing but the reality is that there are actually very few available..any part time earnings she would be bringing in would be taken off the housing benefit so earn too much and she would not get it, the same with council tax benefit (apart from the 25% single person reduction).

It may not be breaking the law in an official sense (although it sails pretty close to the wind) but it is morally wrong.

Also, what one off grants? I have never received any of those.

where we were living people on beneifts are entitled to free nursery places, the only nurserys where we lived were £40 per day, i know because i was having to pay it while other people who didnt work were bringing their kids into the same nursery, they got given free nursery vouchers, these were for children under 3.
social housing can be housing benefit or a council house, it makes 0 difference, she would be entitles to £120 per week towards private renting, it is still benefit money.

on the old benefit calculator this doesnt include nursery, any additional one off claims for things, free school meals when my son is old enough, me renting out my house. according to the calculator it comes to just under 15k, just for housing working tax and jsa.

Entitlementper yearper weeknotesMeans-tested income entitlementsTax Credits-Initial Tax Credit£2,635.30£50.54 Tax Credits£2,635.30£50.54 Income Support/JSA£234.64£4.50Assumes adult-only Income Support/JSA(IB). Means-tested bill reductionsCouncil Tax Benefit£912.50£17.50You will not have to pay Council Tax as you qualify for full Council Tax Benefit. Our calculation is based on you receiving £50.54 from tax credits. Housing Benefit£10,428.57£200.00Our calculation is based on you receiving £50.54 from tax credits. Total Entitlements£14,211.01£272.54 weekly

longtimelurker_2

treliac wrote: »

The concept is only that. Living together confers no automatic legal rights.

Heh, it's always the way isn't? Defined in one set of terms and it works one way (to your detriment) and defined another it works another way (but again to your detriment!)

chunky79

The tax system i flawed and so is every other system run by the government.
As for the article on the scroungers scamming for that few extra K i would rather sleep at night.
Many years ago i became a single parent and oh my how things have changed.
Back then i was on a total of £800 a month. Half of that was my wages the other half Family credit plus child benefit for 2 children. I got 25% CT reduction and £3, yes a whole £3's a week housing benefit. What did i do? Better myself. But now i would be on over £1100 a month with more HB roughly £25 a week.

Whereas my next door neighbour at the time had 3 children, has never had a job, claimed sinlge, but lived with partner, still does although been investigated. She once told me how much she got and i almost fell over. She was on as much as me a week, kids got free school meals, no council tax to pay, or rent then his income on top. And they wonder why some people take this choice.

TBH where i live i see it all over the place and i was once told by a long term claimant and neighbour that they do pay tax, the governemt pays it for them.:eek: ....Yes its true you cannot educate pork.

My friend recently separated from her husband. The council has done a home visit to check no male items are in the house etc... They should be doing this to long term claimants, if your going to claim long term then expect to be checked out on a regular basis, obviously, this should be an unannounced visit.

What some idiots fail to see is that this should be a short helping out when needed not a lifestyle choice. I know and understand that some people need it at times of need but some rely on it and choose not to better themselves.

For me anyone who commits the offence of screwing the state should do time in prison not get a few hours community service and a slap on the wrist. But then thats another drain on the system in itself.
Making scroungers earn their benefits may be a better idea, either by doing a set amount of hours at college or a set amount of hours doing community service.
I am not classing all who claim as scroungers, thought i had better make that clear, as i have said there are people that need ( i have been one myself)and people that choose. Its the people that choose this lifestyle i am against.

chewmylegoff

DW123 wrote: »

Is that fair when the sole income is used to support a disabled partner & 5yr old. It's not about lifestyle it's about fairness.

it's not the sole income though, since as you pointed out your partner gets incapacity benefit and DLA.

brummybloke

chewmylegoff wrote: »

so in order to get this you would need to defraud the system, as you would be renting out the house you live in now, and all living in the social housing she gets for being a single mother.

so you would be breaking the law, married or not. essentially the only way for her to get those benefits would be for you to pretend that you're not living with her when you really are, or for you to actually split up.

i think you are missing the point, rather conviniently

the point is, as im sure you are fully aware, by living as a family we are getting whacked, where as if we split up, for what ever reason, financially or what ever, we would be financially£22k cash better off .

ignore it all you want, they are the facts.

chunky79

brummybloke wrote: »

where we were living people on beneifts are entitled to free nursery places, the only nurserys where we lived were £40 per day, i know because i was having to pay it while other people who didnt work were bringing their kids into the same nursery, they got given free nursery vouchers, these were for children under 3.
social housing can be housing benefit or a council house, it makes 0 difference, she would be entitles to £120 per week towards private renting, it is still benefit money.

I had forgot about this too, what the heck is this all about. None working parents get free places for 2 year old and over where as i had to pay £3.50 an hour and go to work. Why do the kids need looking after if they aren't working? They went shopping or house hopping coming back saying how great it is to get a break from the kids. NICE for them.

DW123_2

chewmylegoff wrote: »

it's not the sole income though, since as you pointed out your partner gets incapacity benefit and DLA.

It is the sole income, it's part of the gross. Let's not forget you have to pay tax on incapacity benefit too. You get a tax allowance like everyone else. That gets added to the total when applying for any other benefits.