Child Care & Tax for Working Or Allowance for staying at Home?

CIS

At the end of the day though, most people probably do get more out of the system than they pay in, so in effect the money that has been paid in has been paid out to provide the services you have received.

When you think that 1 visit to a hospital can #2-300 for a straight forward visit, and add to that the benefits people receive out, even those who work can cost the state.

I agree that the system probably needs tweaking but the argument that Ive paid in so I should get back isn't going to get any change in the rules.

RACHIE77

jellyhead wrote:

alternatively, prima baby magazine are campaigning for a 'baby loan' similar to a student loan, to enable more women to take time off while their babies are small. i like that idea.

Hi jellyhead - i like that idea!

It is interesting to hear everyones opinions and IMO no-one is right and no-one is wrong, my only bug bear at the moment is that i work because I HAVE to and not because I WANT to - maybe I said that wrong but please dont shoot me down in flames as i have had enough of that at the moment....

I do want to work and to pay in to the 'system' and pay my way for my family but I value my kids happiness so much greater than money. I want to spend time with them but I currently cant afford to - I do get some money to cover childcare and like someone said the goverment is more than happy to pay 80% of my childcare bills so that I can pay SOMEONE ELSE to look after my kids and to spend time with them and watch my kids grow up every day!

It really hurts [STRIKE]sometimes[/STRIKE] all the time (at the moment) missing out on spending time with my babies (both pre-playschool age) and whilst I do realise that everyone has different opinions on whether they want to return to work, albeit full time, part time, weekends, evenings etc etc... I think there should be more choice and support available to encourage mums to spend time with their children during the tender years....

I am currently searching on a way to strike a better balance, I just think the system sux that they pay you to leave your children and encourage you to go back to work and leave your kids with strangers.....

DazzerG

RACHIE77 wrote:

I just think the system sux that they pay you to leave your children and encourage you to go back to work and leave your kids with strangers.....

The thing that people seems to forget though is that by the Govt paying somebody else to look after your children, they are potentially receiving greater funds from taxation from both the Childcare Provider & their employees and the mothers that have gone back to work.....and not having to pay either groups any Social Security benefits.....a double bonus!

Must just be me being cynical in my old age.

RACHIE77

DazzerG wrote:

The thing that people seems to forget though is that by the Govt paying somebody else to look after your children, they are potentially receiving greater funds from taxation from both the Childcare Provider & their employees and the mothers that have gone back to work.....and not having to pay either groups any Social Security benefits.....a double bonus!

Must just be me being cynical in my old age.

A shame really isnt it as its money grabbing for the government and not whats best for our kids!

exil

Since the government doesn't actually spend the money on itself - most of it goes on pensions, benefits, schools and the health service - that comment doesn't make sense.

It might be an attractive idea to pay parents to stay at home. But the money has to come from somewhere - from people who are working! Single people and childless couples are probably not too keen for their taxes to increase to pay for it.

RACHIE77

exil wrote:

Since the government doesn't actually spend the money on itself - most of it goes on pensions, benefits, schools and the health service - that comment doesn't make sense.

It might be an attractive idea to pay parents to stay at home. But the money has to come from somewhere - from people who are working! Single people and childless couples are probably not too keen for their taxes to increase to pay for it.

But the immediate cost isnt always the one that ends up being paid - you may as well say that the NHS shouldnt help people quit smoking, just to treat them when they become ill....

Society and family values do have an inherent cost to the government, if a mother teaches a kid it is okay to be a vandal then you will pay for that eventually... (by the way that is an example at not at all relevant to wether a mother works or not)...

In the same regard, if my kids are unhappy and I am unhappy, surely the ultimate benefit would to encourage me nurture a happy family and help me bring up my kids?

I have been offered Prozac to help with the problem, that will cost the tax payer money.

If I don't get to sit and do creative crafts and encourage their phsyical and mental skills, help them learn the alphabet or show them the value of reading a book, then maybe the education system will pick this up later on....?? I am definately not criticising mums who go to work as that is exactly what I am doing now and intend to do again! I just feel I haven't spent any time with my kids and that it would be good for all of us if I could spend some time with them in their early years...

The funny thing is that I work for the public sector so taxes are paying for me to be at work anyways!!

exil

Same here!

Hopefully, though, the public is benefitting from the work we both do.....

I appreciate your points. However you have to persuade single people and couples without kids, and there are a lot of them! They already get less tax credits, and less benefits if they are out of work, than we do, so it might be hard to convince them.

helen_vasey

Unfortunately, we have gone too far down the road for mums or dads to be able to stay at home, obscene house prices mean that familiies need two salaries just to afford a house, unless you are extremely lucky in getting a council house ( which seem to be reserved for the work-shy with a brood of kids), you have two choices; wait until you are a lot older to start a family or bite the bullet and get childcare, I'm sure that for every woman who loves working, knowing that a stranger (probably) is looking after your child, there are ten women who would desperately love to stay at home. There must be some way of bringing down house prices, maybe reducing the amount you can borrow for example? how is it that the average house price far exceeds the average wage? when my mum and dad bought their house in 1970, they could only borrow double my dads wage, surely this is far more sensible?

D&DD

I think I am one of the few very fortunate ones for whom the tax credits system worked as it was intended to...
I thought it was introduced to give working mothers a choice between having to work or stay at home (forgive me if I'm wrong!)
It worked for me because my job paid bad money so by the time I paid childcare I took home £48 a week (FULL TIME!)
When the CTC came in I could claim around the same which I did and with a bit of cutting back here and there we manage (my debts were from when I worked!)

RACHIE77

My day just gets worse and worse! My OH's ex has just decided she wants a share of my salary too and is claiming CSA... they did have a mutual agreement about money, but it seems she dont want his money any more she wants mine! If I quit my job she gets nothing (as his income is low and he has his child to stay over a lot) yet if I am working she gets 15% of my wages!! Oh what fun!