MSE Parents Club Part 12

My_Fathers_Daughter

Sami, I am a 'high earner' and I know very clearly how massive the reduction in wages is. But I don't feel the state owes me anything and I don't begrudge others getting assistance. I just think that if you are 'bright' enough to earn 50k between you then you should be bright enough to know that kids cost money and take responsibility for that.

I sincerely hope I haven't offended anyone. If I have please give me the opportunity to explain either by pm, in person or on here.

Very nearly deleted this and still unsure if I should post...

Sami_Bee

Fitz - I've just checked and direct gov site says

If you don't open a CTF account within 12 months of the date shown on the voucher, the government will open a CTF account for your child.
...
(If you don't use the CTF voucher before it expires, HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) will open a stakeholder account for your child and then write to you giving you details of the account.)

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/moneytaxandbenefits/managingmoney/savingsandinvestments/dg_10018527

Sami_Bee

Not quoted in case you delete but I agree with you MFD
as I say I was feeling devilish in posing the question

My_Fathers_Daughter

Sami, I haven't lived within an hour of my parents (who are working class and didn't save a penny for me) since I left to go to university (self funded, albeit in the days of grants and good student loans) at 19.

cazscoob

aaaahhhhh some ar**hole has hit the back of my car broken the back light and driven off!!! just went out to put the car seats back in and the lights glass is all over the road?

aless02

Sami_Bee wrote: »

I see what you mean MFD but in practice how easy is it to get out of london? I mean I personally wouldn't move more than around 1hrs travel of here because its home and if we were in council housing not home owners I'm thinking it would be very difficult to get another house in another part of the country?

I suppose technically it's a "choice" that I live here in London, but believe me it doesn't feel that way. I came over here for uni which was in Surrey, so to get a job afterwards I went further into the city as that's where there was the most opportunity. DH is from the Home Counties and that's the same reason he came here as well. For us to move, it would involve us BOTH finding new jobs at the same time, plus having enough savings for moving expenses. It's a bit of a catch-22, I think, because in order to get out to make more money, we need enough savings to do so...but we'll never get enough savings without lowering our expenses and the only way to do that is to move out! I do understand what you're saying and you haven't offended...I think I just find it hard to deal with because those of us in the middle (not "poor" but definitely not well off - we have combined earnings of £42kish and still pretty much live paycheck to paycheck) tend to be forgotten because on paper it looks like we make plenty. This is why a lot of means-tested help cheeses me off. I'll stop now before I offend someone because I know there are loads of people much much much worse off.


Beenie, I honestly can't remember how soon they sent the vouchers but I know I only paid 1 DD...you only have to pay 1 so you can cancel and it won't affect your entitlement to them!

Dontknowanymore

CTF gets put into an account after 1 year, Ds1's did.
HIP grant is not as lots of people think to be used for healthy eating, it is actually for anything in the run up to the birth, so for people who are not enetiled to the SSMG it can be helpful.

Hello :wave:
I'm all good, still in this hell hole, waiting for a house, put my first bid in this week, only 1 property available, nice 2 bed house in a nice area on a road, but priority is given to transfer tennants so I wont even be considered unless I'm ultra lucky!

Got court on Monday and not looking forward to it, hope my ex dont go, I dont see why he would seeing as he's denying parentage of the baby, now him and his new GF are accusing HER ex of being the babys father, Jeremy Kyle eat your heart out :rotfl: she even told her ex that she's going to court wth him on Monday, they been together 3 weeks !!!!!!!

She wants to be careful though as she has 4 children and is pregnant with another (not my ex's) and SS have already been informed, so they will hopefully be keeping an eye on that.

BeenieCat

Ooh Sami i totally would have forgot toothbrush LOL. Thanks

Also thanks re. engage, i will give it another week and then cancel just to be on the safe side

There was no HiP when i had DS, and i wasn't entitled the the Surestart grant and i was on £3.25 an hour working 40 hours, and then £100 p.w maternity pay for 6 months. I wasn't entitled to Housing benefit either so my rent was £240 a month. Something to do with the fact i didn't have to pay council tax cos i wasn't 18 they said. But you just manage don't you... when you have to. He was born April 2003 so i think CTC & WTC had just come out? I got a payment of £1200 when i finally got it awarded and i thought i'd won the lottery when i saw my balance on the cash machine :rotfl: I went out and bought some furniture for my front room and a 28" telly, i felt like a millionaire after being homeless and crashing at people's houses for my whole pregnancy. :rotfl:

Luckily my friends were brill and i got loads of stuff given for baby. I bought the pushchair new though, £200 a HUGE 2 in 1 that's still in the shed. Should freecycle it really.

got-it-spend-it

My_Fathers_Daughter wrote: »

Sami, I am a 'high earner' and I know very clearly how massive the reduction in wages is. But I don't feel the state owes me anything and I don't begrudge others getting assistance. I just think that if you are 'bright' enough to earn 50k between you then you should be bright enough to know that kids cost money and take responsibility for that.

I sincerely hope I haven't offended anyone. If I have please give me the opportunity to explain either by pm, in person or on here.

Very nearly deleted this and still unsure if I should post...

I'm not offended in the slightest as I am a firm believer that life would be very boring if we all had the same views . However I do disagree!

£50k between a couple is a lot of money, but when you take into account tax, NI, student loan, pension contributions and also the cost of travelling to and from work, the take home amount is suddenly a lot less. Add into the equation people like OH and I who (perhaps foolishly) bought our house close to the top of the market then disposable income very quickly diminishes.

I am personally, like Aless, very grateful for the relatively small amount of assistance we've received. I am also fortunate enough that my OH works in a job where he can always grab some extra overtime to make up for any income gap that may occur as a result of the 'emergency budget' so I guess I shouldn't moan too much. I guess a lot of people aren't so lucky.

ladybirdintheuk

DKAM that does sound complicated. (and stupid... does she not know that dna tests exist?!) Don't worry, you will get there