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

jamespir

*Chattie* wrote: »

I take it the CB goes to the grandparents with whom your son lives through the week.

I saved the CB in a ten year plan once my child was 5 and I no longer need to rely on it.

they dont get it either

galvanizersbaby

jamespir wrote: »

they dont get it either

So in your original statement what you meant was rather than just you not getting it - that nobody claims child benefit on behalf of your child (not mother not grandparents/legal guardian) - nobody - he/she is not on the child benefit records.
i.e. part of the alleged 2%

brians_daughter

galvanizersbaby wrote: »

So in your original statement what you meant was rather than just you not getting it - that nobody claims child benefit on behalf of your child (not mother not grandparents/legal guardian) - nobody - he/she is not on the child benefit records.
i.e. part of the alleged 2%

I think that is what James is trying to say, or hes trying to be clever with his wording.
Maybe, for those that are interested the question you need to put to James is "Is your child named as the qualifying child for CB purposes"

galvanizersbaby

brians_daughter wrote: »

I think that is what James is trying to say, or hes trying to be clever with his wording.
Maybe, for those taht are interested the question you need to put to James is "Is your child named as the qualifying child for CB purposes"

I have been involved in assisting with the CB statistics in the past and did wonder how accurate the information actually was on the database tbh.

A small number of familiies do not take up Child benefit although entitled to it and it's interesting reading about the reasons for this

brians_daughter

galvanizersbaby wrote: »

A small number of familiies do not take up Child benefit although entitled to it and it's interesting reading about the reasons for this

As i have said in an earlier post I didnt claim cb for my 2 eldest children as i could manage without it quite nicely and i believe that 'you should only take what you need' However, that changed a few years ago when i had to cliam via CSA for maintenance from ex. The csa couldnt persue the claim as my data wasnt on the central CBdata that they checked the children against. Ok, there were probably ways around it i am sure but i simply thought 'well, we are entitled, everyone is, everyone claims and by me not doing i am not penalising my children in regards to money that their father is legally obliged to pay for them' So i filled in the forms and set them off... they did loads of checks tho to see why i hadnt claimed before and to ecusre no one else was claiming for them... it took about 12 weeks in total to get it sorted....when i had number 3 it didnt enter my head not to claim iykwim?

MERFE

julie2710 wrote: »

MERFE - the only way you would be better of living seperately is if you didn't work and claimed benefits whilst still being a couple - ie fraud! or if one of you worked and the other claimed benefits whilst still remaining a couple - ie fraud again!!!! Believe me you are not better of as a working single parent, the system basically works against anyone with a bit of a moral backbone and honesty I'm afraid!

Ok rant over!:o

I didn't actually mean if we stayed a couple. We went through a rough patch not too long back and splitting was a possiblilty and the fact that actually financially we would be better off does not help the situation. I work p/t and housing benefit, tax credits going up, OH paying maintenance would mean I'd have exactly the same coming in as currently without having to pay out for his expenses and stupid credit card debt/loans. Whilst OH could live very cheap in a shared accomadation or one bed flat and have almost all his wages to himself. I didn't say being a single mum would be easy esp working as well but as far as money goes there would be more of it. It's just how the numbers work for us.

Alias_Omega

We would miss the Child Benefit if it was cut, at the minute it tops up the savings, but this is savings towards paying off the mortgage.

In July 2010, from July's Pay Statement, I paid (Mrs Alias not work)

(all figures are per month, based upon a sole income of £30,500)

PAYE - £373.40
NI D - £181.06

In July, we received from the government -

Child Benefit - £134.80
Tax Credit - £85.57

Therefore, each month with give the government £153.03 from our income, plus whatever extra from the house rental tax return.

supa-girl

Personally, yes we do depend on it and it would hit us hard if it was taken away. It might not be much but it does make a difference as we are on a very tight budget atm.

It alarms me when people say it should stop at 2 children - we have 5 children and when we chose to have those children we could easily afford them and were financially well off. Then my partner's business went under in the recession and everything changed things like Cb and wftc what used to be nice extras are now essential to pay for our day to day living costs.

OH is working but I suspect if they means test it we will still get it as we have a pretty low family income just now, unfortunately. I just hope if they change it to 2 children they will bear in mind the impact on those who already have more than that.

SG

beckseven

I would miss it-I'm a working mum and use it towards my child care. I've paid NI and taxes since I was 21 so why shouldn't I get a tiny bit of something back.

*Louise*

Well if I answered that Q 18 months ago it would have been 'no - I put it away and save it for Christmas' but since the recession and that fact that hubby was made redundant twice in 15 months then yes, we would miss it now.

It's £175 a month that I have come to rely on now tbh, (even though he is still working)

Although I would agree for it to be means tested above a certain amount of earnings - but at a reasonable level so middle-income famililes aren't the ones who are hit (again). I would also agree with others who suggested limiting it to the first 2 or 3 children.