Tax credits have left us with nothing

tinktinktinkerbell

if your husband looks after the kids then do more hours at work

bestpud

I'd say your decision to work 20 hours while your OH stays at home has left you with nothing tbh.

Why would working overtime and asking for an advance leave you with no money later on?

The whole idea of overtime is it pays you extra...? I can't believe you are so horrified at the thought as it seems the obvious short term solution to me!

As for school lunches - they will have to have a packed lunch for a few weeks - it won't kill them.

man_of_faith

Going bavk to the original post -
It is nice to see so many supportive comments - not.
The op is a hard working mum bringing up 4 kids. You do not know her individual circumstances. Life sounds tough for her. She needs advice not slagging off.
The tax credit sysytem has helped many people out of poverty. FACT.
How can anyone live on £60 a week? I could not.
Thats where the system is at fault. They should be ab;e to help her and her kids.
As usual the kids suffer. Another thing people forget.

I do hope none of the posters who have slagged off people stuck in the "BENEFITS SYSTEM" ever need any support as they obviously should be able to do ok without any help.

This is the 21 CENTURY get with it.

Oldernotwiser

man_of_faith wrote: »

Going bavk to the original post -
It is nice to see so many supportive comments - not.
The op is a hard working mum bringing up 4 kids. You do not know her individual circumstances. Life sounds tough for her. She needs advice not slagging off.
The tax credit sysytem has helped many people out of poverty. FACT.
How can anyone live on £60 a week? I could not.
Thats where the system is at fault. They should be ab;e to help her and her kids.
As usual the kids suffer. Another thing people forget.

I do hope none of the posters who have slagged off people stuck in the "BENEFITS SYSTEM" ever need any support as they obviously should be able to do ok without any help.

This is the 21 CENTURY get with it.

Perhaps you should read the op more carefully? The OP has conveniently ignored the fact that she has at least £100 coming in as wages and will, within a few weeks have her tax credits as well.

Anybody who has 4 children and is horrified that she and her husband should work more than 20 hours a week to keep them does not really deserve the description of "hard working" in my book.

Jowo_2

man_of_faith wrote: »

-
It is nice to see so many supportive comments - not.
..The tax credit sysytem has helped many people out of poverty. FACT.
..As usual the kids suffer. Another thing people forget.

I second your reservations about the tone of some of the responses.

With apologies to the OP for going a tad off topic because the following is more about policy than her particular claim, so it's more of a discussion.

By HMRC own report, 9 out of 10 households with children qualify for tax credits! Are 90% of children in poverty? This is why I despise such an unfocussed, scattergun approach that's hard to administer and prone to mistakes and miscalculation.

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/taxcredits/start/who-qualifies/overview/what-are-taxcredits.htm

The best route out of poverty should be through employment and I recall a journalist who despises the focus of the changes to the benefit system on 'innocent children' when they should tackle adult employment and dysfunction.

I recall one study that looked at the statistics saying the best way for a person to ensure they are not trapped in poverty is to finish college (i.e. get skills/qualifications) and to have children after marriage (sounds a bit Daily Mail, I know but this study was apparently based on the later income of various people from similar social backgrounds).

Again, apologies to the OP for hijacking her thread with policy issues and for the experiencing responses that are against the grain of this forum.

Indie_Kid

man_of_faith wrote: »

Going bavk to the original post -
It is nice to see so many supportive comments - not.
The op is a hard working mum bringing up 4 kids. You do not know her individual circumstances. Life sounds tough for her. She needs advice not slagging off.
The tax credit sysytem has helped many people out of poverty. FACT.
How can anyone live on £60 a week? I could not.
Thats where the system is at fault. They should be ab;e to help her and her kids.
As usual the kids suffer. Another thing people forget.

I do hope none of the posters who have slagged off people stuck in the "BENEFITS SYSTEM" ever need any support as they obviously should be able to do ok without any help.

This is the 21 CENTURY get with it.

People shouldn't be relying on tax credits to live off. What's wrong with working more hours?

When I was younger, my dad would do anything up to 60 hours per week and mum would do around 12 (because of the career she went into - she couldn't do full-time) per week. There were no tax credits.

Now, it seems like people work minimum hours for maximum amount of money. Of course, if the parent or child has a disability, I could understand them working 20 hours per week.

She CHOSE to have kids - why should the state pay for a lifestyle choice?

bestpud

man_of_faith wrote: »

Going bavk to the original post -
It is nice to see so many supportive comments - not.
The op is a hard working mum bringing up 4 kids. You do not know her individual circumstances. Life sounds tough for her. She needs advice not slagging off.
The tax credit sysytem has helped many people out of poverty. FACT.
How can anyone live on £60 a week? I could not.
Thats where the system is at fault. They should be ab;e to help her and her kids.
As usual the kids suffer. Another thing people forget.

I do hope none of the posters who have slagged off people stuck in the "BENEFITS SYSTEM" ever need any support as they obviously should be able to do ok without any help.

This is the 21 CENTURY get with it.

Hard working? 20 hours at work while someone else takes care of the children and house?

Are you having a laugh? :cool:

Jowo_2

sh1305 wrote: »

People shouldn't be relying on tax credits to live off. What's wrong with working more hours?

If it is the recipients entitlement and there is no requirement to work extra hours if offered, then this is not the OPs problem.

I believe the policy to encourage people to accept low paid or part time employment in areas where there is low opportunities or the recipient is low skilled by topping it up with an allowance is completely counterproductive and has backfired as people change their circumstances to maximise their benefit and minimise their employment if they can - it has robbed some households of work ethic where there are opportunities to work longer.

However, this is not the OPs problem if there is no compunction for her or her husband to seek more employment, if that's the case for their household and the hubby is not on JSA, for example.

Anyone remember when someone came onto this board asking to understand how tax credits worked as they were going to cut down their full time hours....to spend more time at home with their dog...? She was freely able to change her hours and apply for the credit.

only_mee

Read the thread and some of the posters need a clip around the ears, not helping the OP in anyway at all.
I think they have also forgot they agreed to abide by these rules when they signed up to use the site.

Alias_Omega

I very much doubt it that Citymum will be back to reply to this thread for the replies that have been received.


Though, whilst you have mentioned hours worked.


I work a 56 hr week. Mrs Alias does not work, but we have 2.8 children.


Regards,

Alias