MSE Parents Club Part 12

SusanC_2

emlou2009 wrote: »

To be fair from what I've seen, nobody seems to be £1000's a year worse off from this, the most I've seen is the "middle income" families being down just over £400, which spread over the year isnt that bad at all really.

If it's true they're scrapping the HiPG, the Sure Start Maternity Grant and the New Baby element of CTC then if we have a baby next year we'll get about £1200 less. Although to be honest I've never understood why they think you need more money for a child in the first year - they hardly cost anything.

SusanC_2

BeenieCat wrote: »

So when he was on about tax credits or whatever, and said that it will change from retail prices to consumer prices, what does that even mean??

There's the retail price index and the consumer price index (RPI and CPI). One of them includes housing costs and one doesn't but I can never remember which.

Sami_Bee

My_Fathers_Daughter wrote: »

:eek: ...is this from the woman who didn't vote :cool:



It is basically just linking it to a different inflation rate - linked to spending now - it will still increase.

People change :cool: I let Ed have adult cereal too now

Glamazon wrote: »

Not too bad! Was expecting more tax on fuel so happy that there isn't any. Pay freeze for 2 years but can still move up the pay points each year. Don't get enough CTC to be bothered about it. The extra £1K tax allowance is good.
The 20% VAT sucks though!!!! :mad::mad:

A happy (ish) Glam:)

I'm not fussed about VAT (until I want a new car :rotfl:) a lot of places didn't put their prices back up after it went from 15 to 17.5, I doubt we'll notice it much day to day. I assume only those on a very strict budget will notice it.

emlou2009

SusanC wrote: »

If it's true they're scrapping the HiPG, the Sure Start Maternity Grant and the New Baby element of CTC then if we have a baby next year we'll get about £1200 less. Although to be honest I've never understood why they think you need more money for a child in the first year - they hardly cost anything.

Not if you dont work already - if you do work and go on maternity leave, even if you're on full time minimum wage and get SMP rate they can be very expensive compared to what you'd earn at work in those 9 months off...

emlou2009

Oh I was wrong on the housing benefit figures, £400 a week is the max limit, not £400 a month!

Glamazon

emlou2009 wrote: »

Not if you dont work already - if you do work and go on maternity leave, even if you're on full time minimum wage and get SMP rate they can be very expensive compared to what you'd earn at work in those 9 months off...

I lost approx £9K last year compared with usual because I was on mat leave! :eek:

TBH I think the HiPG was a stupid idea - who actually spent that money on improving their Health during pregnancy??

Just seen this comment on BBC website

"John from Pembrokeshire writes: Reducing housing benefit to £400 is going to make thousands of people homeless. Where can you rent a three or four-bedroom property for that sort of money? This government is an absolute disgrace - they have hit the poorest and most vulnerable the hardest."

Are you telling me that you can't rent a 4-bed house for £1600 a month? I think he must think it's £400 a month

SusanC_2

emlou2009 wrote: »

Not if you dont work already - if you do work and go on maternity leave, even if you're on full time minimum wage and get SMP rate they can be very expensive compared to what you'd earn at work in those 9 months off...

True I hadn't thought of it like that. Although I was thinking of the money as being to cover costs of things for the child or relating to the child rather than a drop in income.

SusanC_2

Glamazon wrote: »

TBH I think the HiPG was a stupid idea - who actually spent that money on improving their Health during pregnancy??

Weezl. extension

emlou2009

Yeah he must have read it wrong like I did Glam. I can rent a 3 bed house here for £650, wouldnt be the nicest house in the world but still! My work friends who have council houses pay around £400-500 for their 3 beds. I think the only place you'd struggle to get a 3-4 bed for £400 a week would surely be London? In which case - move somewhere cheaper
Do people actually expect not to have to contribute towards their rent at all?!

SugarSpun

Somnium wrote: »

On the subject on nappy free time what does everyone else do? Have been putting T on a disposable change mat under her play gym but now she moves about so much it's not ideal! Also going thru lots of change mats and there not cheap.

I used one of those Ikea fleeces under the change mat. It was a bit over a euro to buy it, no poop or pee has ever made it through onto the carpet below, and it doesn't slip around.

People also make nappy liners out of them. They're the most :money: purchase ever!

Evansangel wrote: »

When im in the bathroom brushing my teeth, my over active imagintion goes into overdrive, and i always imagine turning around and finding Lily just sat there, even though i left her laying down in the front room :rotfl::o It freaks me out!

I went to the bathroom earlier on and looked down mid-pee to find Miss Molly had crawled in to watch :rotfl:

SusanC wrote: »

Me too - I think some people just like to have a huge friends figure and try to friend anyone they've every known.

It worries me. I have 300+ friends, but they're all people I know and like - I've lived in four countries and you meet a lot of people that way. I happily ignore friend requests from people I don't like or don't know. Although one of Mr SS's friends requested to be my friend to see the pictures of Molly and she is such a PITA that I'm considering dropping her quietly and not telling him or her.

We had an adventurous morning - we met a mummy friend, had all the adult eyebrows threaded and then had a coffee, then I spent my book tokens and we had a long walk. Home again and the small one is happily chatting to the feet of her high chair and eating a rice cracker.