Child Benefit axed for higher income families

tarajayne

Email George Osborne... [EMAIL="ministers@hm-treasury.gov.uk"]ministers@hm-treasury.gov.uk[/EMAIL]

the_cat

csh wrote: »

I think £44k is too low. It really isn't that *high* an income for a family with a mortgage as you say anywhere in the country let alone London.

But surely the whole point of benefits is not to help someone achieve a 'high' income!

It is to help those at the lowest end of the spectrum

TBH I think the whole child benefit thing should be scrapped altogether. We already have in place the tax credits system, so why not just up the limits on that to reflect the point at which the government wants the extra benefit to cut in? A swift way to at least halve the cost of implementation!

I say this as someone who will lose under the current proposal. I will obviously be sorry to see the money go and can certainly find a good use for it, but I do not NEED it. Why should I be entitled to funds from childless people who earn less than me/my family to fund my choice to have children?

SunnierDays

I personally feel rather then penalising those who work hard to better themselves and get somewhere in life in their chosen career path but across the board there should be changes. A 2 parent family where no one works and say 3 kids can bring in the equivalent of a wage itself! I think stuff like that should be cut, maybe capping at 2 kids would be an idea, I am not sure. I don't know where the answer is and maybe I am just a bit bitter lol that hubby and I work our butts off, have 2 kids and a friend is pregnant with her 5th and what she brings in in tax credits ( hubby works, she doesn't) is more then my wage! Something wrong with that picture.

Somewhere there has to be a message given out to stop having kids unless you can afford them. Its to easy.

tarajayne

the_cat wrote: »

TBH I think the whole child benefit thing should be scrapped altogether. We already have in place the tax credits system, so why not just up the limits on that to reflect the point at which the government wants the extra benefit to cut in? A swift way to at least halve the cost of implementation!

Bl00dy good idea, email that one to him please. I'm just cross at he stupidity of the way it is to be implemented. But then nothing surprises me.

[Deleted User]

the_cat wrote: »

...Why should I be entitled to funds from childless people who earn less than me/my family to fund my choice to have children?

Exactly. We have made a choice not to have children so why should the two of us, working full-time and earning less than 44k, be paying taxes to go towards a fund for people earning more than we are?

If you cannot afford children, a big mortgage and to live in an expensive part of the country then you need to make a choice. Downsize the house, move somewhere cheaper etc. Why expect to get benefits no matter what? Also, if you are earning more the 44K and completely rely on the £20 odd quid a week from child benefit is you probably need to reconsider finances.

go_cat

SunnierDays wrote: »

I personally feel rather then penalising those who work hard to better themselves and get somewhere in life in their chosen career path but across the board there should be changes. A 2 parent family where no one works and say 3 kids can bring in the equivalent of a wage itself! I think stuff like that should be cut, maybe capping at 2 kids would be an idea, I am not sure. I don't know where the answer is and maybe I am just a bit bitter lol that hubby and I work our butts off, have 2 kids and a friend is pregnant with her 5th and what she brings in in tax credits ( hubby works, she doesn't) is more then my wage! Something wrong with that picture.

Somewhere there has to be a message given out to stop having kids unless you can afford them. Its to easy.

Agree completely cap child benefit at 2 children - if you decide to have more then you have to decide wether you can afford them not the tax payer

onlyroz

I think that everyone should get child benefit if they have a child under age 5, and then maybe cap it after that. My reasoning? If you're trying to work at the same time as raising your young child then you'll be forking out £500-£1000 in childcare until that child starts school. Child benefit and childcare vouchers help to stop such amounts being quite so eye-watering. If the government wants such parents to go back to work (thus contributing to the economy) rather than staying at home then they should be making it as easy as possible for them to do so.

A salary of £44K doesn't go too far when you've got a large mortgage *and* eye-watering nursery fees to pay.

lauren_1

I think the middle earners have been punished enough, i also think that it would be more beneficial to stop paying it after the third child rather than having a means tested system.

the_cat

onlyroz wrote: »

A salary of £44K doesn't go too far when you've got a large mortgage *and* eye-watering nursery fees to pay.

I see what you are saying but the only reason that house prices got so ridiculously high in the first place was because of supply and demand being warped by stupid lending/people feeling that the only way of getting on the housing market was by taking on these huge loans before the prices rose yet again

If people could not afford to take on stupid sized mortgages, the market would settle into a more affordable price range. Housing should be affordable for a working person on a good income without the government stumping up!

Ideally this should be brought in for new births though. It is pretty tough to take away money that people have relied on when making these calculations. Trouble is, there is no money left in the pot........

gonzo127

Spider_In_The_Bath wrote: »

Also, if you are earning more the 44K and completely rely on the £20 odd quid a week from child benefit is you probably need to reconsider finances.

this is my thoughts as well, someone on 44k a year is getting a take home wage after tax and NI of over £2500 a month so someone who is totally relient on the ~£100 a month benefit then they do really need to look at their finances