If the PM DID means test child benefit could you manage without it?

LilacPixie

in 07-08 it was 98% of all families.


as per this http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/cwtc-take-up2007-08.pdf

msb5262

FATBALLZ wrote: »

If you can't manage without it you shouldn't have had kids.

That was really helpful - NOT.

I could have managed without CB if my marriage hadn't ended in divorce.

Any more smart comments?

MsB

jane130

When I first had my children I could manage without it however now there is no way I could manage without it - and that's due to my husband going out of business after his taxi was hit head on on a one war street by an uninsured driver.

It pays for all the kids school uniforms and clothes and shoes, birthday and Christmas presents aswell as their club fees and swimming lessons - ok we could cut some of that but bills would have to go unpaid when they have growth spurts !

Glamazon

If it was means tested I wouldn't get it. At first it was really useful as I went through so much formula and nappies, plus they grow out of clothes really quickly. Now he is almost 1 and drinks cows milk and eats mainly what we do, I've budgeted the £80 CB a month and £40 CTC to pay for childcare. Has meant I can pay a bit extra for a better nursery.

If I lost the CB, we would just cut back somewhere else but that wouldn't be a problem.

julie2710

msb5262 wrote: »

That was really helpful - NOT.

I could have managed without CB if my marriage hadn't ended in divorce.

Any more smart comments?

MsB

You took the words right out of my mouth! I had my two when I was married, both of us had good full time jobs and had been together 10 years! I'm now left with a huge mortgage, child care costs and no help. In all honesty if I'd known my marriage was going to end I probably wouldnt have had kids. Not because I couldn't afford them but because now I could be having the easy life my ex is having with no one to care about but me!!!

yummymummy79

Surely means testing it (initially at least) to a very high threshold would be a reasonable idea, because as far as I understand it, the celebs earning millions a year get it just the same as I do. If there was a simple way of linking it to the tax records for those earning over something like £250k a year then that would be a start. Even if it only saved a few million a year, then surely it's better coming in from that pot than cutting other services that may affect a larger proportion of the population to save the same amount. Similar with winter fuel allowance too, there was something on the One Show a few months ago where some famous person received it when he admitted he definitely didn't need it and thought it would be a better idea to means test it.

busiscoming2

Yes I could manage without it, I only save it anyway. It was saved xmas to July to go towards our summer holiday and then August to xmas for presents etc.

galvanizersbaby

LilacPixie wrote: »

in 07-08 it was 98% of all families.


as per this http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/cwtc-take-up2007-08.pdf

I thought last year I read the take up was 100% I work for a company that have dealings with HMRC and child benefit) but the OP hasn't claimed it in the past and jamespir doesn't claim it though still unclear to me whether CB is claimed on behalf of his child by another parent/guardian so not sure of the accuracy of hmrc statistics after all

In my opinion if Child Benefit is saved for the childs future then it is safe to assume that it could be managed without.

MissMoneypenny

It's time child benefit went. Tax credits are here now, for those that can't keep their own children.

gravitytolls

Well, if we didn't have it, we'd have to manage wouldn't we?

The problem ony really becomes apparent when circumstances go twits up, then you're jiggered and find that all those scroungers may not have been scroungers at all, just struggling following a twitts up situation!