Age 7 government child trust fund payments not being released!!!

Deepmistrust

POPPYOSCAR wrote: »

Who was it that said and I quote "Anecdotal tales do not amount to very much.Your own experience is always going to be limited"

That's true, that is why it isn't much point Sheman from claiming a £49.99 bargain pram is suitable for everyone. That's the objective of my post.

Deepmistrust

POPPYOSCAR wrote: »

My experience quite different.I bought an expensive pram, had to keep taking it back.In the end got a refund and bought a cheap one and had no problems with it.I most certainly did not spend anywhere near £500 and tried to save money wherever I could(bought cot that converted into bed).there are many nearly new (lets face it how long are babies in these things for) things for sale in the papers etc. My nephew and his wife got a beautiful cot from the paper for a fraction of the cost new and a lot of stuff from the local charity shop, cleaned up like new.

I agree fully re the prams. However, in my experience, (I think I had a pram fetish at one point in time, and have purchased numerous), and usually the prams in the middle price bracket have been the most reliable.

Whereas a £49.00 bargain pram from argos, is most likely to turn out to be a false economy, when (like most of the cheaper equipment I have bought from argos) falls apart after a few weeks use. IT's also unlikely to have any workable suspension - leaving baby to be banged about all over the place - especially for newborns. Also, if the person has a lot of walking to do (perhaps they have other children who attend schools a long walking distance away - they might actually need something easier to push and sturdier on the road). Shemans mistake is assuming that everyone has to do as she does, (quite funny really seeing as she had no qualms accepting the grant when it was her turn), and that she also fails to recognise that people do live differing kinds of lifes, requiring different kinds of purchases at times like these.

Some parents don't use prams at all at first, but prefer to carry them - they will also need a carrier - and a buggy for 3 months onwards etc.

Really, this convo with the rabid Sheman is so pointless, she is like a little hitler telling people what prams they should buy - as if she want's all the poor people in the country to be identified by the same bargain rickety pram lmao. Silly girl.

She doesn't seem to understand that the figure of £500 was not plucked out of the air, but was costed by government advisors as to the realistic costs a new baby brings. Yes, people can buy secondhand and maybe save a few quid (though not always is this cheaper in lots of cases), but I sincerely doubt that the government is allowed to price up baby equipment such as mattresses as example as second hand.

Deepmistrust

POPPYOSCAR wrote: »

My experience quite different.I bought an expensive pram, had to keep taking it back.In the end got a refund and bought a cheap one and had no problems with it.I most certainly did not spend anywhere near £500 and tried to save money wherever I could(bought cot that converted into bed).there are many nearly new (lets face it how long are babies in these things for) things for sale in the papers etc. My nephew and his wife got a beautiful cot from the paper for a fraction of the cost new and a lot of stuff from the local charity shop, cleaned up like new.

It can be done, you can find if you are lucky good second hand stuff. But it can't be relied on, and if everyone bought second hand, then the price would increase anyay, and the availability would fall. Like I said, it's also personal choice, I personally wouldn't use (and nor is it recommened) a second hand mattress.

Some parents would want a cot-bed to save on future bed costs - but the initial cost of these are more expensive.

I have an idea, why don't the people who are whining about the cost of the sure start grant, write to the DWP for details of how the £500 was reached?

Instead of whining and telling people to scour second hand shops in the off-chance of finding a decent pram for a bargain price, this might be a bit more productive, and - heaven forbid - enlightening too?

POPPYOSCAR

This is all very well but what it all boils down to is that we cannot as a country keep borrowing and borrowing and borrowing and paying out what many feel to be excessive amounts for some benefits.This money has to come from somewhere and as a country we just don't have it.

Paul_Herring

shegirl wrote: »

If you look at the most essential things (rather than adding things they will have when older or things you just fancy),this is what you could get from Argos and there will be cheaper items around too.So this is the NEW cost:

Baby car seat £23.99 (was £29.99) http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/3764879.htm

Cot £59.99 http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/3763791.htm

Bath,Top and Tail Bowl,Bath Support and Thermometer £19.99 http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/0985242.htm

Buggy £49.99 http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/3765548/c_1/1%7Ccategory_root%7CNursery%7C14417537/c_2/3%7C15701330%7CPushchairs%2C+prams+and+carriers%7C14417542/c_3/4%7Ccat_14417542%7CPushchairs%7C14417543.htm

These are essentials??

seven-day-weekend

POPPYOSCAR wrote: »

This is all very well but what it all boils down to is that we cannot as a country keep borrowing and borrowing and borrowing and paying out what many feel to be excessive amounts for some benefits.This money has to come from somewhere and as a country we just don't have it.

Agree absolutely.

I became a State Pensioner this year and will be eligible for my Heating Allowance, but if this is one of the casualties of the cutbacks, sobeit, I see the reason for it.

shegirl

Paul_Herring wrote: »

These are essentials??

Car seat,I don't know about now,but when I had my son you weren't allowed to leave hospital without a car seat.

Buggy isn't really isn't,there are carriers too.

Bath...well there are other ways such as bath supports in normal bath etc

Top and tail bowl...anything could be used.

I'd say a cot is pretty essential though!

shegirl

Deepmistrust wrote: »

You are clearly mightly angry, for no other reason that you can't accept that a bargain argos (probably rickety) pram for £49.99 isn't going to suit everyones needs. How do you know what the usuage of the pram is going to be? How do you know how many miles a person needs to walk a day, and needs a comfortable pram (to push for them, as well for baby) to do it with?

Clearly if the government offers a decent £500 that increases peoples CHOICE (google choice, without getting upset that other people can have choice too), to purchase equipment that is decent quality and suits their needs.

*awaits another babble of tears wah wah wahing that people getting the same grant you did, get more money than you*

Yes,I'm wailing over parents getting £500 to buy baby things when I only got £100 despite having more than that a week to spend myself:rotfl:

Idiot!

POPPYOSCAR

Deepmistrust wrote: »

That's true, that is why it isn't much point Sheman from claiming a £49.99 bargain pram is suitable for everyone. That's the objective of my post.

No you are going against what you said.

POPPYOSCAR

seven-day-weekend wrote: »

Agree absolutely.

I became a State Pensioner this year and will be eligible for my Heating Allowance, but if this is one of the casualties of the cutbacks, sobeit, I see the reason for it.

I admire your sentiments but this is one benefit that I would not like to see axed.The price of electricity etc. is rising all the time and I do not want to see
older people being cold/dying because they can't afford the heating.Babies will not die if their mothers do not get £250 to invest for them when they are 18 or £500 to spend on baby things.