Should child benefit be means tested?

percy_the_park_keeper

i agree with it seams most of the people posting
why should child benifit be means tested i get out of my bed every morning and go to work when i come home my wife goes out to work all to support our two children and pay our bills so why shouldnt working families be a little better off. This is whats wrong with britain if you want to sit on your butt and in theory get paid for it you can.

am i the only one in this country that is thinking that all the polish etc are coming into our country to work because our own nationals are to lazy to work because its not financially worth there while and anyway they are entitled to the "social"

i cant see why or how anybody not willing to work should be entitled to anything they should be made to get off there butts and get a job like the rest of the working population instead of complaining working families are getting too much money from the goverment :mad: do away with job seekers and make the sweep streets etc to earn there benefits!

astonsmummy

£100 a week better off my big fat battie!
Personally, i'm a lone parent who works, and the amount of people who said to me, what's the point in going back to work because after rent, council tax and childcare i'm about £35 a week better off.

You wouldn't get a crisis loan for £800 to pay bills, she probably applied for a budgeting loan, which all gets payed back anyways. and they dont ask for evidence when getting a budgeting loan.
I got one this year because i needed to get a car so i could start work again.

The_Snorkmaiden

I can't believe people think it's right that financially well off people should get extra money in benefits when they don't need it. What about people who don't earn much and don't have kids? Wouldn't the money that is currently being paid in child benefit to people who don't really need it be better used supporting people who don't earn much, regardless of if they have kids or not?

Scarlett1

must have stepped in the wrong thread, silly me thought this was about child benefit not benefit bashing :rolleyes:

Scarlett1

The_Snorkmaiden wrote:

I can't believe people think it's right that financially well off people should get extra money in benefits when they don't need it. What about people who don't earn much and don't have kids? Wouldn't the money that is currently being paid in child benefit to people who don't really need it be better used supporting people who don't earn much, regardless of if they have kids or not?

good suggestion yes, especially when the well off give their kids the child benefit money for pocket money, I think money should be given to help those who really need it

2Princess_Mum

astonsmummy wrote:

£100 a week better off my big fat battie!
Personally, i'm a lone parent who works, and the amount of people who said to me, what's the point in going back to work because after rent, council tax and childcare i'm about £35 a week better off.

You wouldn't get a crisis loan for £800 to pay bills, she probably applied for a budgeting loan, which all gets payed back anyways. and they dont ask for evidence when getting a budgeting loan.
I got one this year because i needed to get a car so i could start work again.

Maybe it was a budgeting loan, but my point is that regardless of the reason an individual needs a loan (budgeting/crisis etc. at the expense of the taxpayer) they should be required to provide evidence to ensure that the money is being used for a just cause. My reason for raising the issue was that the person didn't even want the money for the reason that she had given. I'm sure that taxpayers would be incensed to know how easy it is to cry poverty and get help. People should live within their means. If this money was not readily available maybe they would think twice about their spending habits, or turn to their families.

Anyway my view is no means testing for child benefit - pardon the benefit bashing!!! :rotfl:

2PM

astonsmummy

If the budgeting loan is payed back (comes straight off the benefit) where is the harm?
When i have applied for a crisis loan because i had no money as i was waiting for my claim to be assesed it took a week to try and get something.
I know not everyone spends it how they should but alot of people get them for useful things which they wouldnt otherwise be able to get.

Edit - you have to provide some information when applying for a crisis loan, i have only applied twice, once was a couple of years ago when i lost my purse, they wanted to see a mini ststemant from my bank account and a police crime reference number, the last one i applied for when i had no money was rfused but i got an intrim payment from incoe support.

itzmee

I voted no too. It's interesting that people think that CB should be abolished for those earning £30k+ - are all these people on low incomes and think that they are the only ones entitled to this benefit? £30k sounds a lot (especially when you don't earn anywhere near that) but the more you earn the more you seem to pay, especially if you have a mortgage. My OH earns over £30k but that doesn't mean that we are well off, it has basically meant that we could afford a mortgage rather than renting and a little bit extra for a few treats. We are not well off by any means and the child benefit is a godsend to us. We pay our taxes just like everyone else who works and these taxes go towards child benefit payments so why shouldn't we benefit from it - we're just as entitled! We don't get tax credits at the moment as we were overpaid (not our fault!) and won't get it for the next 3 years, so we are even more in need of child benefit especially as it isn't means tested.

Child Benefit is paid to the carer (usually the mother) so it ensures that her NI contributions are paid during the time spent not working but raising a family, and she will not lose out on a state pension in later life - this point seems to have been forgotten about!!

Aldahbra

Child benefit goes to the childs main carer, for most people it is the only money that does. IE just because a man has a good income it doesn't mean he gives it to his wife/kids. It is very rare for the primary carer not to spend the money on the kids.

Child benefit should go to all children.

If you don't have kids you still get the benefit of other peoples children growing up to pay your pension/health care!!!

Fran

2Princess_Mum wrote:

.... but the child can benefit ONLY if they are using it to fund (in part or whole) their higher education

There is a large percentage of the population who wouldn't want higher education and the money would be more beneficial spent elsewhere. Also if they didn't receive it until they were 18 they could do what they liked with it.

If a parent on benefit is insistent on continuing to populate the earth...

What has this got to do with Child Benefit?

£11.70 for each subsequent child is not much, though enough to buy raw fruit and veg to feed the child for a week, (as opposed to ready made and convenience foods) and the odd £2.00 top/skirt/trouser from Primark when the hand-me-downs are looking weathered. That way they can't afford to pay for satellite TV and other luxuries that employment can afford. I think the most humorous thing about many on benefits is that they want to have the latest gadgets in their homes .....

This is so offensive. Who are "they" that you refer to? Just because people have to claim benefits do you think they are inferior or different to you?

What I think is also a good idea is for those who are on benefits .......... mountains of jewellery......... a crisis loan ......, should be told to sell their trinkets first, then do a home visit ....their really are in need of the loan. .....I don't believe they run checks even if its to pay bills.

Totally irrelevant and again, offensive. A loan is a loan not a gift and has to be paid back You would not get a Crisis Loan for paying bills.

I think those who are typical of the examples I have put across are not smart enough to be on the mailing list of a site that is there to help them get themselves out of debt, therefore if any of my comments are subject to criticism, lets just say the truth hurts.

The truth is, that all sorts of people read and contribute to this site, you have probably been helped by a jewellry-ridden benefit claimant.